Couple interesting story lines baked into this week's top five. The first being the ultra sexy, Willy Wonka colored video for Jason Derulo's Swalla. Needless to say, the lyrical innuendo on the track manifested itself as well as you could have hoped in the video. Next, let me introduce you to DJ Hanzel, the German alter ego of Dillon Francis. As entertaining as he is, you could imagine why TBS sought him out for his own One Deeper Talks series. There are now seven short episodes in the series and two of them made this week's top five. If you're a fan of tongue in cheek humor and EDM, these will be right up your alley.
Just in case you forgot there was still social turmoil across the US, Run the Jewels took the liberties to bring that to the forefront like only they know how. Let's just say there's a police lineup and all signs point toward it being a setup. And last, but not least, I'm ending this week's top five on a heartfelt note with Sampha's Tiny Desk performance. The dude can flat out sign and all he needs is a crowd and his piano to put on a show. Tip of the cap Sampha, you rocked that tiny desk and had us all on pins and needles...#TinyDesk
Jason Derulo feat Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign - Swalla (Video)
DJ Hanzel (Dillon Francis) Interviews Calvin Harris on One Deeper Talks
DJ Hanzel (Dillon Francis) Interviews Flosstradamus on One Deeper Talks
Very entertaining week for videos with everyone's favorite staged, viral response to Beyonce's Lemonade video. Funny or Die is usually on point, but they brought their A game and flipped an hour long response quickly. When it came to music, Flo Rida/Jason Derulo and The Chainsmokers chipped in new visuals for their recent singles. I hate to call Hello Friday a typical Hip Hop video, but let's call a spade a spade. As far as Don't Let Me Down is concerned, the plot is a bit perplexing. You've got a group of women dancing and pouring their heart out vocally and Alex and Drew are...bouncing in '64 like they're riding down Crenshaw? Other than the play on words on not letting them down from the bouncing, not sure what they were going with theme wise.
In non-music news, Drake did an hour long piece with Zane Lowe following the release of Views. Jury is still out on the album for me, but overall I'm feeling the more low key, back to more of an R&B/Hip Hop mix vibe. And last but not least, we've got a brand new game on Fallon. It's called Frozen Blackjack and Fallon took on Captain America in the game. Let's just say, it was entertaining...#FrozenBlackjack
Jay Z Responds to Beyonce's Lemonade (Funny or Die)
The Chainsmokers - Don't Let Me Down (Video)
Flo Rida feat Jason Derulo - Hello Friday (Video)
Drake Interview with Zane Lowe
Chris Evans and Jimmy Fallon Play Frozen Blackjack
It seems a little weird posting a track called Hello Friday on a Saturday, but when two Hip Pop legends get together on a new single, date matters less. The track more of a mid-tempo sing along, but the snappy beat and vocals from Jason Derulo mesh well together. The track isn't even close to my favorite track from either Flo Rida or Jason Derulo, but as a novelty collaboration with some top 40 appeal, I can get on board with it. The single will eventually be a part of Flo's long awaited 5th studio album, The Perfect 10. Seeing that he's been opting to release mini-EPs rather than full albums while hyping the release of a length album for over two years, it sounds like there will be a whole lot of new music coming from the 305 this year. If I were a betting man, I'd put money on me liking his next single better than this one...#HelloFriday
A lot of artists have fallen on and off my radar because of how their music and my taste in music has evolved over the years. Fall Out Boy is a great example. I love their early music, but there was about a seven year stretch where it was me pressing the next button on every track. Recently, they've found their way back into my good graces, but there was a long hiatus in between.
I preface this post with that example because Jason Derulo has been the opposite of that. His music is so consistent and his style has continued to go the same direction as mine the past five years. He's four albums in and I'm excited about the lead single to his upcoming album, Want to Want Me. There's a heavy funk influence, some sexy falsetto and just the right amount of sing-along lyrics to carry the track. For those in mood of a mid-week, feel-good pop pick me up, look no further, JD has you covered...#WTWMDerulo
After listening to Hardwell's new track Follow Me, I'm left wondering one thing. Why isn't Jason Derulo on more EDM tracks? Sure, it's easy to cut and paste a talented R&B singer onto a progressive house beat and call it a day, but JD's delivery works really well with the ebb and flow of different tempos. While Hardwell's new one doesn't exactly break the formulaic mold of a top 40 EDM track, I'm a sucker for the great vocals. In case you missed it, Hardwell's new album, United We Are, hit you favorite e-store last week. The jury is still out, but there are more than a few who are getting behind the up and coming star's debut album...#UnitedWeAre
I'm going to frame this as a make up post. What do I mean by that? Well, I clearly missed the bus on Florida Georgia Line's mega-hit Cruise last year and despite my clear dislike for country, I ended up jumping in with two feet on the track. It's like that thing you really hate (Country), but when mixed with something you really like (Hip Hop), it becomes this awesome new thing.
Now, before you listen, don't expect to another top five single. What you're going to hear below is a really catchy remix to a track that will get some top 40 airplay. Jason Derulo's vocals and a little bass took the original This is How We Roll to another level. It's got sing-along appeal and with the slightly over-the-top Hip Hop lyrics that will serve as catnip to the non-Country audience. Better get used it to it, you're going to hear it all summer...#ThisIsHowWeRoll
Florida Georgia Line feat Luke Bryan & Jason Derulo - This is How We Roll
Not a lot of interesting music videos this week, but fear not, I found some interesting tidbits to share. James Blake continues to be one the more intriguing artists in the music and he's found a way to firmly entrench himself on my concert bucket list. If you're wondering why, check the video out below.
If you have an hour to blow and want to get a thorough glimpse of Drake's life, you'll enjoy the Q interview. For quick drive-by entertainment check J Cole's inspiring performance of Crooked Smile on Letterman, some great behind the scenes footage of Big K.R.I.T.'s 4eva N a Tour and to top it off a quirky Jason Derulo video with a whole lotta trumpets...
J.Cole – Crooked Smile (Live On David Letterman)
James Blake Performs Measurements at Terminal 5
Big K.R.I.T. – 4Eva N A Tour (Behind the Scenes Pt. 1)
Admittedly, this week was a little heavy on Hip Hop, but that's not away a bad thing. Despite the fact that Drake went on just about every major media outlet, I refrained from posting more than one video of his. I know, I'm proud of myself too. I thought his mini-skit/video for Hold on We're Going Home was well done, though. Didn't see the track evoking a ransom situation with a whole lotta guns and stuff. SPOILER ALERT: Drake ends up saving the day and getting the girl.
Aside from that I got some pop/EDM, R&B and plenty of a$$ thanks to Wale's Clappers video. Dare I say take notes Miley? Cause the Twerk Team is in fully effect...#QueensOfTwerk
Drake - Hold on We're Going Home (Video))
Zedd feat Hayley Williams - Stay the Night (Video)
Great week for videos with Jay Z leading the way with his "performance art film" of Picasso Baby. Despite the fact that he's ruffling feathers with every new things he does, I respect his visionary approach to Magna Carta Holy Grail. When you have the resources to do it, why not try things that nobody else has done before?
Oh, and in case you aren't tired of Miley's twerking ways, she played a starring role in Big Sean's new video. I probably would have given large amounts of money to be at either OVO Fest or TNGHT/Disclousure's Central Park concert. Maybe it was a coincidence that both took place in the same week, but jealous was running high this week...#GreatConcert
Big Sean feat Miley Cyrus - Fire (Video)
Jay-Z - Picasso Baby (Performance Art Film)
Jason Derulo feat 2 Chainz - Talk Dirty (Video)
Mayer Hawthorne Performs Her Favorite Song on Jimmy Kimmel
TNGHT Brings Out Mobb Deep & Perform Shook Ones II in Central Park
When you're an international superstar, you can afford to release singles for specific countries. Such is the case for Jason Derulo who is readying a release of his UK single Talk Dirty featuring 2 Chainz on September 16th. The release of the single just happens to be about a week before JD is schedule to let loose his upcoming album, Tattoos. As a quick side note, I found it entertaining that Jason is calling his upcoming album his "breakout" album. I guess when you've got 2.2 million followers on Twitter, you could always reach more people and have 11.5 million followers like Drake?
The most surprisingly awesome element of Talk Dirty is the beat cooked up by the Balkan Beat Box. The saxophone driven part near the hook really gets your attention and pulls you in. For a pop track, 2 Chainz definitely didn't hold back on his verse. His lyrics fit the tone of the track, but I'll put it this way, there will some editing needed for radio. Not sure when this one will hit US iTunes, but I assume it'll be sooner than September 16th since the internet has already gotten a hold of it...#TalkDirty
Jason Derulo feat 2 Chainz - Talk Dirty (prod by Balkan Beat Box)
Having just seen Afrojack at the Indy 500, I jumped at his latest assist on Nayer and Jason Derulo's new single Body Talk. Make no mistake about it, it's a pop track, but I've always had soft spot for the talents of JD since the days of when he was keepin' it on the Hush. The duet works well over a synth laden soca track that shows the South Florida influence of the 305 native, Nayer. It's a fun track that will have more than a few ladies singing along to the carefree vocals. In other words, it's coming to a radio station near you...#YouveBeenWarned
Nayer feat Jason Derulo - Body Talk (prod by Afrojack)
It's official, Jordin Sparks and Jason Derulo might be the most likable couple in R&B...sorry Nick and Mariah. I've always enjoyed JD's pop zeal and MJ-esque dance moves on stage, but in addition to that, it's hard not to cheer for a dude that broke his neck practicing his stage act. The good news is he's back and about to release a third studio album. Below is his recently released lead single, The Other Side, off his yet-to-be-titled album and a little behind the scenes action on the video for the single...
I can appreciate the message of the song because there are a lot of guys out there who willingly get stuck in the dreaded "friendzone." You know that area that guys are sometimes willing to patiently remain in hopes that there will be some more the friends type stuff happening down the road. Hopefully this song inspires more people to just take the gamble and push the issue without regard for whether or not there will be a friendship afterwards. If you want to date the girl, actively see if she's willing to fill that role, or else be content with her toying with you and target someone else. I'll be here all week for relationship advice, holler atcha boy...#FreeAdvice
For one, I've evidently been riding the short bus because I totally missed that @JASONDERULO and @jordinsparks were dating. Put it this way, anyone who didn't realize they were dating, definitely does after watching their new remix duet video for It Girl. Other than that little tidbit of knowledge I gained this week, you may have missed @wizardcud's rant vs his record label as a result of the lack of promotion his new album WZRD received. It sounds like his label undersold the potential of his newest record and the estimated 80K sales that it's projected to get first week may even be a little low as a result. As per the usual, I mixed in the obligatory Drizzy concert video and even snuck in a #kendrick_lamar performance. It only their tour looped around to Philly somehow before going overseas...#Fail
Jason Derulo feat Jordin Sparks - It Girl (Remix)
Drake Performs Crew Love in New Orleans
WZRD Listening Sessions in NYC at W.i.P. Feb 23rd
Kendrick Lamar Performs Hii Power in New Orleans
Young Jeezy feat Ne-Yo - Leave You Alone (Trailer)
Jennifer Hudson feat Rick Ross & Ne-Yo - Think Like a Man (Video)
I've been a pretty vocal buyer of @jasonderulo since before the Whatcha Say days. Having just released his second studio album, Future History, in September, he's now about to headline his own 2012 Future History World Tour. With all that being said, I was skeptical he'd be able to follow through with a sophomore album that was anywhere near as great as his self titled debut album.
Don't Wanna Go Home and It Girl are catchy and further his rolodex of solid radio hits, but they didn't reach the ceiling that some of his previous albums single reached. Yet, here we have a new non-album single by JD produced by the man himself, Ryan Tedder. I can appreciate Jason trying to diversify his sound away from JR Rotem the way the Game wanted to branch out away from Dr. Dre to prove he wasn't a product of his production. Rest of My Life is a great mid-tempo ballad that allows Jason to show off a little vocal range and hit a couple American Idol notes throughout the track that is dripping with emotional intensity. Individually both Jason and Ryan are huge talents, so it's safe to say, combining the two will eminently end up in one bad ass collaboration...#ProofsInThePuddingBelow
Jason Derulo - Rest of My Life (prod by Ryan Tedder)
Key takeaway from this week's lineup of videos is that @common has a knack for producing art. Not only was Blue Sky a moving song to listen to, but the video was equally as motivational, emotional, well put together and symbolic all at once. As far as under appreciated artists in Hip Hop, there are few who have done it as long and been as consistent as Common has over the years...#Respect
Chalk up another hit single for @jasonderulo with his new one It Girl. It's a solid follow up single to Don't Wanna Go Home and by my count, two top ten singles prior to his new album Future History, due out Sept 26th.
Unlike the first track, which was more at home in the club with the help of the classic Show Me Love sample, this one is more of a triumphant, mid-tempo ballad. The whistle throughout the beat is creative and catchy when mixed with the acoustic backdrop. As usual, JD is on point with the vocals, hitting plenty of notes that us average-folk could only dream of hitting. Even better, the hook has an sing songy feel to it that urges the audience to sing along, which should do nothing but give it radio traction.
Interesting to note too, that hit-maker extraordinaire @jonathanrotem has yet to be publicized in the production credits for the first two singles. That's pretty cool because I'm sure Jaysawn didn't wanna always be seen as a cookie cutter element that is copied and pasted over his always top notch production. On that note, shouts out to @EmanuelKiriakou who did the beat on It Girl. For all you visual, picture book style learners out there, below is a newly released trailer of his soon to be released video for It Girl...
Sophomore slumps are as predictable as follow up albums that end up being successful. You never really know what to expect, so when I heard @jasonderulo was set to release a new single this week, I was cautiously hopeful. Then I was all like, nah he didn't just sample two completely different classic tracks from two polar opposite music genres! Yea that's right, with the help of @thefliptones (not @jonathanrotem suprisingly), the track manages to sample both Harry Belafonte's Day-O (Banana Boat) and Robin S.'s 90's dance classic Show Me Love. Sidebar: WTF is up with everyone sampling Day-O all within a few months? #PickADifferentClassicSample. If you need a little refresh on the Robin S. track, press play below...
Yea I'd say this lead single will suffice in generating the hype needed to further the success he garnered with his self titled debut album. It's hard to believe his debut album didn't end up goin' Gold in the US after the three heavyweight singles he dropped. Past album aside, Don't Wanna Go Home will get more tread on the radio than the average Black Eyed Peas song this summer, you can take that to the bank and cash it...#BETDAT
I'll leave you with a pretty cool video with the lyrics to the song. Stay tuned for album number 2, titled Future History, due out later on in 2011...
BEWARE PHOTOSENSITIVE EPILEPTICS!!!
Jason Derulo - Don't Wanna Go Home (prod by The Fliptones)
It's been a minute (or 7 months) since I've posted some Derulo, but he's back with yet another potential radio hit on Maniac. New year, same formula with JR Rotem doing what he does best by taking a well known oldie sample and flipping it new school R&B style. When it comes to capturing listeners attention with a catchy well known sample, @jonathanrotem knows how to pick 'em. Whether you hate on his lack of originality or marvel at his ability to transform the old into the new, it's probably not a good idea to bet against his pop culture success.
If you need a refresher on the sample, give Michael Sembello's Maniac, which was featured in the 1983 Flashdance a quick listen...
Sure I've definitely heard better samples, but I'm digging the chemistry between @JASONDERULO & the new "princess of Beluga Heights" @callmeauburn. I wouldn't say they outdid the original by any stretch of the imagination, but they didn't ruin it either. Call it a push, but it's worth a few listens. It's not going to set the radio on fire, but it will help Auburn get her name out and it's good to hear somethin' new from Jason Derulo, who hasn't released much since touring all over the world the past half year.
Jason Derulo feat Auburn - Maniac (prod by JR Rotem)
Anybody who has been to my blog in previous months has noticed the massive amounts of Jason Derulo material I've posted. The reason for that has been two-fold. First and foremost, I like his music and I've liked it for a couple years back when he was Keepin' it On the Hush and waaay before Whatcha Say caused his career to rocket from up and coming artist to platinum artist...all in one year/album.
The second reason I've posted so much Jason Derulo is because one out of every two people that have come to my blog in the past year have been because they searched something about Jason Derulo. For example, I've never posted anything about Jason Derulo's shoes, but massive amounts of people have searched that on Google and ended up on my blog looking at pictures I've posted of him. Thank goodness for Google Analytics is all I can say. If used right, it's a great tool for anybody looking to know everything about who is coming to your blog. I've got love for all you guys out there tuning in, especially the new contingent of readers up in Duxbury, MA...I see y'all and appreciate the love.
The picture I'm trying to paint in my review below should reflect my giddiness that an artist I've been following closely for the past couple years decided to perform a few blocks away from me...oh yea and for $5. I probably would have forked over at least $30-$40 to see him up to an hour away from where I live, but no...instead he was all like "I got you GWDJ, I'll come next door and perform basically for free." Even better there was no assigned seating, so similar to the night before at Matisyahu, I had the ability to carve my way through the crowd to get great seats before he hit the stage. Seems too good to be true right? You're tellin' me...
Let me catch myself for a sec before I get too ahead and just skip to the review of Derulo. Prior to him hitting the stage as the headliner, I was (of course) there early enough to catch IYAZ's set. As he started, I was walking up, so I didn't get a chance to hustle myself into any premium seating unfortunately. What I heard though, was pretty much what I expected, but that's a good thing. Unbeknownst to me, IYAZ has another new single on the horizon titled So Big, produced by J J J JR. I didn't have a good view of the stage, but I got a clip of his new single thanks to my freakishly tall roomate Mike (I see you Butcher!). It ended up being a curveball because I hadn't heard it yet (surprisingly) and still can't find a non-DJ version of it in the past day I've now found it which is strangeIYAZ - So Big. Strange because wikipedia says his album is due out in a week and it hasn't now leaked yet. That iswas an accomplishment if true.
All in all, I'd say the comparisons to Sean Kingston-like style and potentail are fair at this point since his debut album is going to end up having three huge singles Solo, Replayand So Big. In the limited time I got to listen and see him in concert I'd say IYAZ was a little more engaging than Kingston as a performer actually. For a warm up act, it was legit, daps & lbs to you Keidran Jones.
After a pretty decent set by a band I hadn't heard much from Sandlot Heroes, I made a quick visit to the exceptional restroom facilities and a little stop here, giving myself just enough time to find a chair to stand on to get a clutch view of the stage. Sidebar: Word to the wise, if the opportunity presents itself to elevate above the crowd for a better view, station yourself next to a pole...the likelihood of being in everyone's way despite being elevated is lessened, pictures/videos are generally higher quality/less shaky, and you never know when you're going to get bumped by drunk people at a concert, especially on a flimsy chair ...so being by a pole mitigates those risks/obstacles quite well.
Those May Fair folks steadfastly stuck to their schedule because the set change was quick, maybe 15-20 mins. You know I was posted up though and got a good view of the Michael Jackson-esque Thriller-style, coming out of the fog dance entrance. Check out his Concert Entrance into his song Sky is the Limit...
My first reaction was holy-ish, how many teenie boppers made it out tonight!...i.e. hadn't heard the high pitched boy band style screaming in an audience for a while. Guess Jason Derulo is the farthest boundary of my musical tastes bordering Pop music now?....siiiikkee @JustinBieber.
Aside from the extraordinarily high amount of teens in attendance, I was still able to enjoy his performance, which was impressive because of Derulo's stage presence. Sure a lot of Pop/R&B artists try to pull off the dancing on stage, but he owned it to a point where you can tell he takes pride in his choreography. From the occasional spins, to the above average back-up dancers (I agree Jess, he does have one of the best groups of dancers), to the crotch grabs, to the lit-up black gloves...he owns the entertainer label. One of the better examples of him being an entertainer was when he performed Whatcha Say below....
smh on the Hulk Hogan style beater rip off at the 2:48 mark...haha. I get it though, the lil girlies love dem abs and word ta ya moms I'd probly do that walkin' down the street on occasion if I had Chris Macke style wash-board abs. I see you Diesel!
As the concert progressed, he kept playing personal favorites like What If and his new single Ridin' Solo. Ironic and probably planned that he chooses to play Ridin' Solo by himself, but it was a mellow rendition of the song and consequently may have been the song I was least a fan of him performing.
As the concert wound down I gained a heightened sense of appreciation for the true performance I was witnessing for having only paid $5. Made me feel like it was a little bit of karma coming back to frequent concert-goers like me who gets raped every time they have to buy tickets off Tickmaster. Arts Fairs like May Fair so rarely are able to attract high profile acts that it felt like I was watching an endangered animal that I should have had to pay more to see, but was fortunate enough to watch basically for free.
That was none more clear than on his closing song, my personal favorite and hands down the best performance of a song he did all night. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, fast forward to his move at the 2:40 mark where he rocks the splits into a mic flip while smoothly transitioning out of the move by walking forward in sync with the other dancers. Was pretty sick and a very real indication of how he has become a polished entertainer...a step up from your garden variety Pop star.
If I were to give the event a grade, I would emphatically give May Fair an A. How they got Matisyahu, IYAZ, Charice, and Jason Derulo to play under a tent in park in Allentown, PA jengas my mind. It cost $5 to buy 4 apples at the grocery store and to go all economic on you for a min, I got way more utility out of watching Matisyahu and Jason Derulo for $5 than I would have gotten out of eating 4 apples. That sort of captain obvious comparison I managed to geniously come up with was meant to shed light on how rare and somewhat old school the event was that I attended. It's going to be a tall order being able to get that much entertainment out of $5 in my life going forward. Serious daps & lbs are in order for all that organized the event (mainly B104), I feel like I owe y'all some sort of thank you note. Even if you aren't as fortunate to attend a festival with IYAZ/Derulo, I would still recommend paying upwards of $30-$40 to see them if you get the chance.
For more exclusive videos of the concert and other past concerts, check out my YouTube Channel or click on the YouTube icon at the bottom of this page on my Wibiya bar (in between Twitter and Become a Fan).
Somehow this one managed to get cut from Jason's newly released album that is currently sitting at #52 on the Billboard top 10. I've questioned aloud why his first album was only 9 songs especially when he has unfinished tracks or demo tracks that would have been great additions to his (already) popular album. I wouldn't have even dared classify this one as a "filler" track as the emotion and lyrical content reel you in with the story of real life struggles.
The slow piano vibe set off by none other than JR himself, leads the way for an emotion evoking, personally accessible track that deal with subjects like heartbreak over losing someone you love to a war overseas and the struggles a single mom with cancer goes through after an unintended pregnancy. Pretty heavy stuff and despite this track sounding like a demo that is missing a third verse, its potential to be a powerful track can't be ignored.
Take it for what its worth, but the picture painted by this track is very real for a lot of people, which is something to keep in mind when you're thinking life is picking on you...it could always be worse homie. #shotofperspective
. It's hard to believe his debut album 
