"Can't Go Wrong When Everyday is Sunshine"

Looks like Baby is at it again, pulling together yet another compilation of big names in Hip Hop. I will always be critical of Cash Money/YMCMB's commander and chief's ability as an artist, but you'll never hear me second guess a business move of his. His latest effort will be released under the name Rich Gang, which is more or less everyone on the Young Money record lable, plus a whole bunch of other artists that would take up a few lines to name. Put it this way, who is your favorite rapper? Yep, he's on there.

The track that initially caught my eye when I caught a glimpse of the final tracklist was Sunshine. Mostly because it features Limp Bizkit and it's been years since the phrase Limp Bizkit has come to mind. Early indication is that they will probably come back to relevance in 2014 since they signed with Young Money and are planning on releasing a new album titled Stampede of the Disco Elephants. The track is extremely chill, easy listen, which isn't at all what I expected. Being caught of guard isn't always bad because it causes you to adjust your expectations and reorient yourself. Who knows, maybe their new album is going to be a Fred Durst and Lil Wayne flavored rock album like the lead single Ready to Rock...#RichGang

Rich Gang feat Limp Bizkit, Flo-Rida, Birdman & Casey - Sunshine

"Why Does it Feel So Good an Hurt So Bad?"

Despite being a somewhat foreign name to Americans, @ollyofficial is about to become a household name and radio mainstay in the US. You may remember his from his stint on X Factor, but I've been more intrested in his work with one of my favorite Hip Hop artists/writers @ClaudeKelly. With damn near 3 million followers already in tow and a few Hip Hop singles on the way, his US debut Right Place Right Time is on the right track.

In case you missed it, Olly recently put out a single featuring @chiddybang called Heart Skips a Beat. His follow up single below has a @maroon5 sound to it's about as delightfully pop and catchy as you can get for Top 40 radio. My only critique is that it's a little slow for @official_flo's usual pace, which makes his verse sound a little out of place, but I can see how the big name collabo will go a long way towards $ales. Still a solid track that will get gobbled up by the masses as Olly ascends mainstream pop significance in the US...#RightPlaceRightTime

Olly Murs feat Flo-Rida - Troublemaker
|iTunes

Videos of the Week May 25th

Two heavyweight videos hit the internet this week with @realwizkhalifa's Work Hard, Play Hard and @official_FLO's Whistle. Most interesting to me was hearing @ryanleslie talk about his new album and how he's transitioning to more of a Hip Hop sound on his new album. I like his well thought out plan of how he's planning on making money touring rather than with his music. Trying to make his music into advertisements is smart because it's a reacting to current market conditions that a lot of rappers ignore. Similarly, banking on the "live concert experience that you can't download" is a smart business model for the type of music he creates. He's one of maybe a handful of people in the industry who get it and are trying to blaze their own trail because the old way of making money doesn't work anymore. Hey man more power to your creative vision R Les, keep doing what you're doing, enough people will catch on to a point where you're on real TV rather than just R Les TV...#BetOnIt

Wiz Khalifa - Work Hard, Play Hard (Video)

Flo Rida - Whistle (Video)

Jay Sean feat Pitbull - I'm All Yours (Video)

B.O.B - Next 48 Hours (Part 2)

R Les Talks New Album and Plans on Releasing New Music

"Can You Blow My Whistle Baby, Whistle Baby?"

Seeing that @official_FLO can't do anything but produce singles that shoot to the top of iTunes charts, it's only fitting that he'd go three for three on singles on his upcoming album Only One Rida (Part 2). First it was @avicii sampled Good Feeling, which may never fall off the charts, then he came just as strong with the help of @siamusic on Wild Ones. Whistle on the other hand is a stark contrast to the other two, serving as more of an airy, sing along to an acoustic guitar. Sure, it's got the trademarked Flo-Rida repeatable hook, but the whistle is what embeds itself in your cerebellum after a few listens.

Good news is, Flo's new album is due out in July and so far he's chalked it full of nothing but singles. I've got serious doubts he can continue his torrid and insatiable desire for #1 singles, but you never know with the pace he's on. Shout out to @djfranke on the production in helping craft this soon to be hit. Whether it's Jason Derulo, Madonna, Chris Brown or Kanye, DJ Frank-E has gotten the attention of lots of great artists and deservedly so. Dude knows how to craft up a single!...#Underrated

Flo-Rida - Whistle (prod by DJ Frank-E)

|iTunes

Videos of the Week February 10th

Considering how many damn times they play the song in concert, it's about time @kanyewesta and @s_c_ made a video for N****s in Paris! Other artists should take note that all it takes is a little creative editing and some concert footage to make a decent video. Love how we've evolved as a culture to put disclaimers for epileptics too...

I would probably pay a lot of money to be able to see Drake anywhere within a two hundred mile radius of where I live, but unfortunately it's not in the cards this year. I'll settle for the teaser (literally) promo video I guess. Still digging Wilds Ones by the way and if you haven't caught on to Eric Turner yet, then shame on you. Oh yea, Avengers are coming soon too...#SuperheroMoviesWin

Jay-Z & Kanye - N****s in Paris (Video)

Flo Rida feat Sia - Wild Ones (Video)

Drake's Practice/Club Paradise Promo (Video)

Eric Turner feat Lupe Fiasco & Tinie Tempah - Angels & Stars (Video)

Super Bowl Commercial for The Avengers (Movie)

Childish Gambino - Heartbeat (Video)

"I Gotta Get Ya, Can't Let You Get Away"

Will somebody tell @official_flo to slow his roll a lil bit and give the rest of the game a chance? Good god almighty! Counting the track below, he's now got three, count it, THREE number 1 caliber singles floating around right now. I know I'm a little premature on Gotta Get Ya (below) being a #1 hit, but it's better than the released version of Good Feelin' (but not as good is the Avicii version) and comparable to his newest single Wild Ones.

What's so good about the tracks? For starters, I'm having a really hard time articulating how awesome the @davidguetta beat is on this track. The initial syncopated electro rhythms that steadily gain in intensity and lead up to the above average hook provided by @neyocompound is a perfect blend of greatness. I'm not sure if you were planning on copping the sequel to Flo-Rida's Only One Flo (Part 1), but if you weren't I'd challenge you to find me another album in 2012 that has three singles that can match what Flo has put out this year. Good luck with that...#CantTopIt

Flo-Rida feat Ne-Yo - Gotta Get Ya (prod by David Guetta)
|iTunes

"If I Took You Home, It'd Be a Home Run"

When damn near every song of an artist produces sounds the same and has the same tempo, its hard for an artist to continue to grow their sound. With that being said, there are exceptions like @official_flo who don't need to evolve to continue to be successful. It doesn't matter who he features or what producer is on the track, he has the market cornered for the Hip Hop dance genre. His sound consistently plays and sets the bar for the competition. If you're the best in your neighborhood and consistently producing music that sells, why tweak it?

You can add this and his latest dance floor hit Good Feeling to the tracklist for his upcoming album part 2, Only One Rida (Part Two). Rumored to be dropping on January 1st, 2012, the album is shaping up to be just as good as the part 1, One One Flo Part 1. As an aside, doesn't it seem like every new single he drops gives a new R&B artist their first chance at limelight? You had @keshasuxx on Right Round before she had made it big, @WYNTERMUSIC on Sugar and now @siamusic gets her turn to shine on Wild Ones. You better believe Sia shined all over Wild Ones and absolutely did her thing on the hook. I'd expect there's a lot more where that and Titanium came from. She's clearly got a great voice, hopefully more Hip Hop artists will take note and give her some more opportunities.

I'll put it this way, if I still sent out my monthly song list, this one would be #1 for December. It'll be in the iTunes playlist rotation for at least a week, which is no small feat. Can't wait to hear this one in the club and go #HamSandwich...

Flo Rida feat Sia - Wild Ones

|iTunes

Videos of the Week

Lots of @JColeNC in the videos this week, which is always a good thing. Is it just me or is anybody else absolutely memorized by @araabmuzik every time he touches an MPC? Dude is a beast and I was happy to hear he iscoming to Philly soon so I can see that magic in person. As a sidenote, I'm still salty over the end product of Flo Rida's Good Feelin'. Let the beat free @Avicii!!! Either that or put your own track on iTunes dude! I digress...have a good weekend y'all!

Beyonce feat J Cole - Party (Video)

Flo Rida - Good Feelin' (Video)

Mac Miller - Party on 5th Ave (Video)

J Cole - Lost Ones (Video)

Ne-Yo feat. Trey Songz & T-Pain - The Way You Move (Video)

araabMUZIK Metal MPC Solo (Video)

Garbage Verses Can't be Recycled

I've got a Bad Feeling that the track below may end up on @TaioCruz's upcoming third studio album. I say that because @official_flo's verses are 100% copied and pasted from his new single Good Feeling. Now I've already vented about what became of that track with the tease surrounding the initial beat-jacking of Avicii, but it'd be more than a little embarrassing to use the same verse on two radio singles. The more I listen the more I'm just confused. Is it a B side or demo? Remix? I have no idea because the beat even sounds like Good Feeling and follows the same formula that a lot of Taio hits did with the upbeat club rhythms.

I'm not one to be quick to judge or over-react, though, and I'll admit there's probably more shock value than truth in that last paragraph, but C'mon Man!!! (#CCVoice) My guess is the use of Flo's recycled verses are more of a placeholder and if the track ever makes it to the light of day as a single, we'll either get new verses or a completely different feature than Flo Rida.

Take it for what it's worth, but I doubt this version will ever make it to the masses, so feel free to indulge in what could turn out to be a hidden gem...

Taio Cruz feat Flo Rida - Hangover (prod by Dr. Luke)

"Oooh Sometimes I Get a BAD Feeling"

Dammit @official_flo! You were so close to what could have been the dopest lead single off any album in 2011, but it looks like the unofficial version of the track where you *borrowed* DJ @Avicii's Levels beat was too good to be true. Hey Atlantic Records, how about throwing Avicii a bone and hashing out a compromise the way Leona Lewis did with him? I'm betting the settlement included throwing him a couple racks on racks on racks, but Leona is (presumably) getting to use the version she's already released.

Memo to Atlantic Records, hopefully you've crunched the numbers on the ROI for the original vs the diluted, official version because you had an absolute gem on the original beat. Was the goal to change it just enough so that it didn't sound too much like the original beat? That way DJ Avicii would have less of a plagiarism complaint right? Maybe so, but lengthening out the sample a little bit and absolutely watering down the beat with a bland synths is like bull dozing a rain forest with beautiful exotic plants so that you can plant corn. Yes, the corn will sell because the masses will eat anything made of corn (Flo Rida on a dance track), but what you had was a top 10 single of 2011. Settling for less is like stealing a car, replacing the engine with something that has less horsepower, changing the paint job so that it looks different, then selling it for the same price it was worth when you stole it. Check the original version below in case you missed it...

Flo Rida - Good Feeling (Original with DJ Avicii beat)

In an all or nothing world, being semi-shady and going safe after being ballsy leaves the door open for criticism, which is the reason for this post. No, I don't know why the track was ultimately changed and I'd love to hear the extenuating circumstances behind the decision to change it, but all I've got to go on are my theories discussed above. I dunno about you, but I'm going to continue to ignore the version below and pretend like it never happened. Buyer beware, I'd give a listen to the original before settling for the recycled, manufactured garbage they're going to try and sell you on iTunes and in the club. #DoTheRightThingAtlanticPayAvicii

Flo Rida - Good Feeling (Official Final Version)

|iTunes

"Oh...Sometimes...I Gotta Get a Good Feeling"

On first listen of @official_flo's new single Good Feelin, I had two thoughts. The first was, this track has @davidguetta all over it, with the euro-club vibe on the beat. Second, that sounds like @Jeremih on the hook? Doesn't it? At least the beginning does, not sure about the high note at the end of the sample.

Turns out I was dead wrong on the Jeremih guess and Etta James is source of the soulful vocals on the track. The beat on the other hand is a little more contentious...or will turn contentious soon. As the story goes and the internet churns with rumors, the track below was marked as being produced by up and coming Swedish DJ @avicii. Yea, that same DJ I wrote about because he got a jack moved pulled on him by Leona Lewis who took his instrumental and ran with it #1 single style. His Facebook post below should sum up how he feels about the false collabo...

Eaaaaaasssyyy Aviiiiici! Shots fired across the bow! But, wait a second...NFW! Did he get beat-jacked AGAIN? The YouTube video below could be the reason why he's ackin' all high siddity.

Yup, that my friends is the second jack move this summer and sadly, all indications are pointing toward both being Top 10 singles. I'm sure this type of "sharing" and "sampling" happens all the time, but not on this scale where big record companies are blatantly stealing other DJ's beats and turning them into lead singles.

We'll see what happens with the litigation, but out of all this, I've gotten a chance to respect the work that Avicii is capable of. My advice would be ride the same wave that David Guetta, Benni Benassi and Afrojack have and embrace your growing world wide appeal. Judging by your FB reply above, it sounds like you're going to try and go with the "keepin it real" route by shunning that terrible American Hip Hop genre since that would be selling out. My answer to that...have fun making your thousands of kronas (currently 1/6 as valued as the US dollar), while leaving on the table potential millions by continuing to market yourself as an underground DJ. If you want to make the top 30 like the DJs mentioned above, you're gonna need to widen your fan base to America dude.

(Climbsdown off the high horse)...Aaaannyways, the track below will presumably land on Flo's sequel to Only One Flo (Part 1), wait for it...Only One Flo (Part 2). Yea you got it, not once, but twice we get a reminder that there can be only one! #HighlanderStyle. We'll see how much $$$ it will take to clear the sample from Avicii's grasp, but something tells me that when big money talks, even the most stubborn European DJs will listen...

Flo-Rida - Good Feelin

|iTunes

"So Many Girls in Here, Where Do I Begin?"

Same loveable upbeat club sound, slightly new cast, same result. Matter of fact now that I think about it, it's been at least a few minutes since @davidguetta released a new #1 club hit. This time with a little autotune from @official_flo and a verse by the effervescent and audacious @nickiminaj, DG takes aim at American contemporary club and hits another bullseye.

This is probably a stupid supposition, but I wonder if people in Europe or more specifically France (where David calls home) enjoys the Americanized sound of his music now? The electro, techno sound has to translate and travel well overseas, but I'm wondering if they view him as all sell out since he went for the more lucrative overseas challenge of taking over and shaping American pop music.

Selfishly, I'm not too upset he came over and has helped fill the techno/house void that pop has been without for years. Can you think of ten American-made songs that you remember that have a techno beat and was gobbled up by contemporary radio? It's a challenge for me, so I'm gonna fall in line and keep subtly enjoying the hotness DG keeps putting out...that is until it's beaten into our brains and overplayed, then I will probably learn to hate it like I do most music that enter the final stages of a "popular" song's life cycle.

David Guetta feat Flo Rida Nicki Minaj - Where Dem Girls At

|Download

New Hip Pop Remixes

Seems like the drink of choice in the mainstream these days is Pop mixed with shot of Hip Hop. When you think about it, it's a pretty symbiotic relationship. Pop stars recognize a Hip Hop collaboration as being good for their "street cred", as well as opening up the door to a wider demographic. Similarly, Hip Hop has always craved to be accepted in the mainstream because we all know that means...radio play, commercials, endorsements...doller...doller...bills y'all...#LaFlamaBlanca

While I feel like most Hip Hop fans are starting to get used to the fact that their favorite rapper may also be singing the hook or dropping an R&B love song to go along with their latest freestyle, real Hip Hop heads are still not havin' that ish because they remember back in the day when Wu Tang, Nas, Rakim, KRS-One spit fire every time they gripped a mic. In my mind being open minded to change and rolling with the punches (sort of a progressive, new school train of thought), while still appreciating the past and the groundwork it laid for the current generation's adaptation of what they heard growing up, is the best way to look at it. We'll see if the fad lasts, I've got good eyesight and the lines between Hip Hop, R&B and Pop are starting to get pret-ty blurry...

Can't hate too much on @BRITNEYSPEARS's new single that has taken iTunes by storm. Tip of the cap to @official_FLO for hopping on a track that caters to his delivery and making it even better too...

Britney Spears feat Flo-Rida - Hold It Against Me (Remix)


Hey Three Stacks...dude, you keep teasing us with these white hot verses on remixes and it's got your fan base chomping at the bit to get a whole album's worth of new material. Is that too much to ask? PS @KESHASUXX, your trashy demeanor and unapologetic lyrics are more than entertaining to me and the fact you're proud of the way you are makes it even more appealing. Shouts out to @mrbangladesh on the beat too, the depth of the bass you put into songs deserves more praise than it gets.

Ke$ha feat Andre 3000 - Sleazy (Remix) (prod by Bangladesh)


Last but not least, @JColeNC hops on @RIHANNA's new dirty hit S&M and delivers an adequately seductive verse lyrically that fits in well with the chains and whips subject matter. Not used to hearing him go in on upbeat dance tracks, which made him seem a little out of his element, but that's not to say it wasn't executed well. Check it...

Rihanna feat J Cole - S&M (Remix)

Throwback Thurs: "Born N Raised in the County of Wade"

With all this excitement that's being generated in and around the Miami metro area with the signing of the Three Kings (pictured above), I couldn't help but Throw Thursday all the way back to 2006 when DJ Khaled introduced us formally to what we then called Dade county. When I think of Dade County, I think of Pitbull screaming 305 on every track, I think of The Runners beats that make you wanna drive fast (yes I know they're from Orlando, but they have been behind 90% of all the noteworthy hits to come out of the 305). I think of Rick Ross's raspy flow over loud beats and most noticeably I think of DJ Khaled yellin' WE THE BEST!! and LISSSSTEENN!! over every track.

Many will point to Uncle Luke as the King of Miami in terms of putting Hip Hop on the map. Me, I was a little too young at the time to gain an appreciation for that, so it started for me with Trick Daddy around 1998 when his single Nann got some radio and TV exposure. Looking back it may not have been the highest quality Hip Hop, but it started burning the coals around the Miami Dade County area for Hip Hop. My next memory came when I was on a baseball trip to Boca Raton my freshman year hearing Oye by @PLANETPIT on a local radio station and being genuinely excited about the sound of Miami's upbeat Reggaeton infused Hip Hop. That was his first track and while he's stepped up his game from that point, his music still hasn't changed all that much, which is cool.

Since then it has grown so much that it's one of the hotbeds of Hip Hop, mostly on the backs of @PLANETPIT and @rickross305. Sidebar: If you haven't copped Ross's new album, he definitely shows off a more laid back side of his game, which lends to a higher quality sound if you're a fan. I love his past @COOLANDDRE/@THERUNNERS tracks though, so to me my favorite part is missing, but still it's definitely worth copping the Teflon Don.

Give the real Dade County anthem a listen while you're at it...hate to give all the credit to production but The Runners beat goes HAAARRRD!

DJ Khaled feat Trick Daddy Rick Ross & Pitbull - Born N' Raised (prod by The Runners)

 | Download

While I'm at it, let's address all this Wade County talk and non-stop booty chatter by @DWADEOFFICIAL, @chrisbosh and @kingjames. In case you somehow missed Lebron forecasting that the Heat will win up to 7 titles on the night he signed, it came off as pretty ridiculous. I mean I've heard of believing in yourself and  your teammates, but maybe a little too much hype?? I can see why Cudi wanted to congradulate you with the back of his hand after dumping Cleveland publicly and Dan Snyder's reaction was a little bit too much like an ex-gf, but when I think about it, I'm missing the end game here with all this talk. If you predict it and do it in 7-10 years, you know you'll be able to unquestionably call yourself the man and I can respect you setting public goals to self-motivate. Just understand a whole lotta people don't like that type of off top cockiness especially when it's unfounded so far. Time will tell, but until then I'm gonna cop one of these fresh Wade county joints. White or Black?

As a final aside, what's even more annoying is now rappers are jumping on your bandwagon of predictions and claiming it's in the bag. SMH with capitol melontruckin' letters y'all. Seriously!? Man I really hope Hip Hop in Miami benefits from the exodus to Miami and doesn't lead everyone thinkin' they're on top of the world when a game hasn't even been played yet. Cool out y'all...on the real...

Song below if you care to listen to listen to the consequences of Lebron's prediction...

Flo Rida feat Billy Blue, Brisco, Brianna, Ballgreezy & Picalo - We Already Won (Miami Heat)
| Download

"The Club Can't Even Handle Me Right Now..."

I SEE YOU D GUETTA! Ok then...after a somewhat average Spring, Hip Hop in general has hit the accelerator the past month with a flood of singles/albums coming out from Drake, Eminem, Big Boi, Flo-Rida and Rick Ross slated to drop in the next month. This one will find it's way in clubs by late summer and probably compete with David Guetta's other new creation with Kelly Rowland, Commander.

Believe that this upbeat, radio catchy Pop Hop track will be end up being the gem off his new album The Only One and put his previously leaked Zoosk Girl track to shame when it comes to catching fire on the radio. While Flo is trying his best to remain somewhat street with tracks like his lead single Fresh I Stay part II feat Lil Wayne, he corners the market when it comes to keeping up to to fast paced Hip Hop beats.

David Guetta has officially invaded the US and is not going to stop assaulting the top 50 Singles chart. It doesn't matter what brand of Pop David sculpts, Dance, R&B, Hip Hop...he does it all well and has us all eating out of the palm of his hand. The tempo on all of his beats are starting to sound a little vanilla, but it's that French vanilla (pun intended) thats a little richer than the plain old vanilla you commonly associate with blandness. At this point as an artist you'd be stupid to not to at least entertain collaborating with DG and infuse his uptempo grooves in your music.

Go Ham, Go Stupid, Go Dumb...one thing's for sure...

"You know I know how, to make 'em stop and stare as I zone out, the club can't even handle me right now, watchin' you watchin' me I go all out, the club can't even handle me right now..."

Flo-Rida feat David Guetta - Club Can't Handle Me
| Download

Buzz Track: Flo Rida feat T-Pain - Zoosk Girl...What is a Zoosk Girl???

Seems the kind people over at Zoosk.com just hit the lottery with an imminent spike in pop culture relevance through this club track, which is destined to turn into a club anthem this summer. For those of you not in the know,"Zoosk.com is a safe, fun, and delightful online dating site for millions of singles to interact and search for their matches." Translation - An internet dating site that is targeted for the younger crowd , as opposed sites like E-Harmony, Perfect Match.com and Match.com.

What's the difference between Zoosk and the other internet dating sites? To put it in basic terms, young adults growing up in the internet generation who are now in their 20's and 30's wouldn't be caught dead on internet dating sites because generally speaking, it has attached to it a stigma that reeks of desperation. In other words, we feel like we have enough "less desparate" ways to meet people online, plus have a grasp on how "un-secure" the internet is and are (generally speaking) subsequently careful about what personal information we share online because we find it "creepy" when people we do not know, knows stuff about us. Feel free to stop me when I'm wrong, but nowadays even Facebook friending someone can be a tenuous situation depending on whether you've met the person face to face, have mutual friends or haven't met at all. Needless to say, when it comes to unwritten social rules, it (usually) pays to be cautious...at least on the internet.

So how is Zoosk going to attract the younger adult crowd? With songs like this! I'm only half joking because knowing the impact popular Hip Hop has on pop culture, this movement could SERIOUSLY gain some steam and do wonders when it comes to changing that "stigma" I alluded to in the paragraph above. It also helps that Zoosk has integrated their site with other social networking sites like Myspace, Facebook, Bebo and Hi5. Throw in an iPhone app and you've got yourself a substantially integrated platform that caters to a younger demographic (note in that iPhone app all of the ladies pictured are in their 20's). Apparently Zoosk also has 50 million members, 8 million of which use the Facebook App daily. I just found a review of Zoosk in hopes of contradicting/supporting my opinions above and interestingly enough, the review shares the same opinion. Here are the Demographic section and Summary of the editor's review from OnlineDatingPicks.com:

Demographics

Almost all of Zooskers or Zoosk members also have Facebook accounts, so there is a wide selection of date cards to browse. Most of the Zoosk members come from the United States. According to Quantcast.com, the site attracts more African-Americans, most of which are teenage females.

Summary

If you’re young and cool, you’ll love the way Zoosk interfaces with other social networking sites. This is Zoosk’s advantage over all online dating sites. With Zoosk, one would never think that you’re too old. It’s the coolest way to meet and date people through the Internet.

Interesting...especially that Flo Rida and T-Pain would do a song about an internet dating site that attracts more African American teenage females than any other online dating site. Talk about self serving, they probably did the track to get more girls on there to browse through...haha. All joking aside, wouldn't that be crazy if Zoosk got flooded by guys as a result of the demographic info getting out??

The real story behind Zoosk girl began with T-Pain's boy, Tay Dizm who was raving about a fine girl he met on Zoosk.com. Elrin "E-Class" Prince, Poe Boy Music Group CEO (Flo Rida's record label) is quoted explaining,

"He (Tay Dizm) was talking all kind of mess about how good she looked and that she actually had good credit. T-Pain responded from the booth and was like "I need me a Zoosk Girl". The jokes then turned into a song and It went from there."

"I then hooked up with my buddy who owns The Kluger Agency, they handle most major artists relationships with brands. Since the song was clearly a smash, we decided to work something strategic out with Zoosk to amp the promotions for the song, which is now Flo's Hype Single off his album The Only One". 

Background info aside this track has the same tempo as their previous classic track Low that lit up clubs for a few years. By the way, shouts out to DJ Montay, I never heard anybody give love to him for producing the beat for Low, so daps & lbs to you sir. While JRock did his part in the production of this new track by aiming for the heart of Hip Pop the same way DJ Montay did, I don't think this one is going to live up to Flo Rida and T Pain's previous hit. The folks at Canaan Partners, ATA Ventures and Bessmer Venture Partners clearly knew what was up before this song hit because they are all stakeholders in Zoosk. #justsayin #plant$trees

Be on the look out for another T-Pain Flo Rida collabo called I'm Dancin' coming soon off T-Pain's new album.Give it a listen and I'll see you all on Zoosk......

(I'm PLAYIN! Twitter was a big enough leap this year...someone try it out and lemme know what's good)

Flo Rida feat T-Pain - Zoosk Girl (prod by JRock)

New Ish...Flo Rida - Star (prod by The Runners)

Not used to such a laid back look from the man known for lighting up dance floors year round. To be honest, I gained more respect for him with this song than any of his other platinum club hits (here, here , here and of course here). Nothin' more refreshing than The Runners "Aaaaaaahhhhhhh" at the beginning of the song. I'd liken it to climbin' up the hill on a roller coaster...you hear it and you know you're about to get something great.

While Flo Rida is never gonna win awards for thought provoking lyrics, he still deserves a whole lotta dap for trail blazing his way to the top with his unique, undulating multi-syllabic flow that is as at home as koala bear enjoying a eucalyptus cough drop (oh what? Koalas don't get colds too?? Its freakin' cold/flu season, come on! Click here for a random koala fact) over a fast (usually Runners) beat. I'm glad he's mixin' it up a bit tempo wise even if he's stickin' to his guns flow wise...always good to see a little versatility.

I'm very pleased to say this probably won't becoming radio roadkill anytime soon because it's not as fast as his usual hits and he'll probably drop a lead single dance track before falling back on a real smooth track like the one below. Not counting it out as single material yet though cause any artist would be stupid not to use a Runners beat as a single. Guess we'll see...check it...

Flo Rida - Star (prod by The Runners) Hooootttt!!!!


As a bonus check out an under the radar guest spot off up and coming R&B artist J. Lewis title Dancing For Me...definitely worth a listen...


J. Lewis feat Flo Rida - Dancing For Me Hot!!

The Year that was in Hip Hop 2009

The picture above sums up 2009 about as well as an 1000 words I could come up with. For me, I will remember this as the year of Drake...where he went from an aspiring actor to a can't miss Hip Hop rookie. While it's still waaay too early to call him one of the best (seeing as he hasn't even released a full studio album yet), his So Far Gone Mixtape will go down as one of the most memorable Hip Hop compilations that weren't initially meant to be sold.

As far as Cudi, he produced a similarly inspired album with Man on the Moon: The End of Day, which in my eyes was the best studio album of the year. His out-there style and the way he went about creating the album was such a breath of fresh air that he deserves his share of dabs & lbs from the Hip Hop community in my eyes.

Other notable observations from 2009:

• When its all said and done, Timbaland may end up having the most successful album with the goldmine of singles on Shock Value 2 he still has yet to release.
• You could argue Pitbull had so many club tracks with a long shelf life that he's become the most well-known and radio-friendly artist in Hip Hop. Flo-Rida fans would argue against that and probably have a valid point...either way South Florida is officially the home of club friendly pop rap.
  
• 50 cent, although now much more relevant in film and other media like video games, did an adequate job with his Before I Self Destruct album. He still will never be able get back to the level of Get Rick or Die Tryin' without the Dr. Dre crutch though.
  
• It was a sad year with one of the most respected and my personal favorite rap groups, UGK releasing their last true studio album (since Pimp C passed away in early December 2007).
  
• Fabolous came back strong with Loso's Way, again reminding me he's probably still in the top 5 in Hip Hop (with Juelz, Drake, Lil Wayne and Crooked I) with producing catchy, creative one-liners.
  
• A new super-group in Slaughterhouse was formed, bringing together four of the most underrated talents in Hip Hop. I still maintain their role in Hip Hop is and will always be underrated.
  
• Jay-Z dropped another classic, platinum album...ho hum.
  
• Eminem attempted what's amounted to an unsuccessful comeback thus far to rap with Relapse and Relapse Refill . While I say unsuccessful that's completely objective because both albums still sold and are selling pretty well despite even Em admitting to the albums being tainted because he was still working the drugs out of his system and going through withdraw. Em I see your recent work with Weezy on Drop the World and Forever...those were glimpses of you in your prime...keep going toward the light man.
  
• Wale burst onto the scene with an innovative sound on his album Attention Deficit, as well as Asher Roth with Asleep in the Bread Aisle. Both albums were one of the better released this year and show why this 2009 Hip Hop Freshman class may someday go down as one of the more stacked groups of young artists to make it.
  
• Bobby Ray, you survived on strong Mixtapes, looking forward to the upcoming album in April.
  
• Clipse will ALWAYS be the most undersold Hip Hop tandem in the game...their new album Til the Casket Drops is really worth a listen...QUIT SLEEPING ON THEM EVERYONE!!!
• We hoped, like every year for Dr. Dre's Detox, but again...didn't get it. Rumor is it'll be out in 2010...wait...haven't we been saying that since 2004?
• Most notable (in my world at least), we saw a cream of the crop of producers assert themselves as the best this year. R&B producer of the year, hands down, Darkchild with Polow Da Don and JR Rotem right there. Hip Hop was dominated by Jim Jonsin this year, but DJ Khalil emerged as my favorite new producer to join the likes of The Runners, Danjahandz and Timbaland.
  

If 2010 is any near as exciting music wise as 2009, it's gonna be a good year.

Flo-Rida rip off?? Mike Bless - Do it Like This

Mike Bless Rides tha Flo on Do it Like This

I'm not really sure if there is any part of Mike Bless's Do it Like This song that could be considered original when you compare it to Flo-Rida's hit single Low.

Bout as cookie cutter of a single as you can get and ya know what it might just conjure up some of those memories we had when listenin' to one of the most well known Hip Pop songs of the past few years.

What do you guys think? Is he guilty of swagger jacking or no?

Mike Bless - Do It Like This (If I Was a Stripper)

Flo-Rida feat T-Pain - Low