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 Still Love You, Even Thought I Don't Like You Right Now"

If you frequent this palace of daily music on a frequent basis, you know how much I geek out over Hip Hop and EDM collaborations like the one below. Even though Hip Hop is being left in the dust as Pop music plows forward without looking back, I appreciate when talented EDM artists aren't afraid to reach out to do a song with a well-known rapper. In this case, it was the unlikely combination of Axwell Λ Ingrosso and Kid Ink. The love/hate centered track is destined to wreck shop on Top 40 radio and that's in a large part due to the different personalities sprinkled throughout the track. I Love You has the strings and deep house chords setting the tone, a few playful verses from Kid Ink, and a hook by an unknown vocalist to get everyone singing along. It's sugary-sweet, but a fun snack nonetheless if you've got room on your latest playlist for a new one...#ILoveYou

Axwell Λ Ingrosso feat Kid Ink - I Love You

"I Can Read Your Body Language"

When I see produced by Stargate, you've got my attention. They could produce for Paris Hilton and I'd probably give the track a listen. I'm stil warming up to Cashmere Cat, but combine the two powers together and you're set up for success.

When I think Kid Ink, I think of his chart topper Show Me with Chris Brown. I wouldn't quite put Body Language on the same level as his previous hit, but the Usher and Tinashe features take the track up a few levels. The mellow, bouncy beat is catchy enough to garner more than a few Top 40 spins. If you're in the mood for a catchy, chill Hip Hop track this one is going to hit the spot...#BodyLanguage

Kid Ink feat Usher & Tinashe - Body Language (prod by Cashmere Cat & Stargate)

Hip Hop Version of Why You Gotta Be So Cruel

Feel free and file this under the "you must be living under a rock if you haven't heard this track" category. Like many songs that ascend to the top of the US pop music chart, it can become tough to avoid certain tracks. When I say avoid, what I mean is you find yourself singing it to yourself even though you have no idea what the song is called or who it is by. Well, THAT song happens to be by up and coming Canadian band MAGIC! and their song Rude clearly has a potent combination of harmony and laid back reggae vibes. Check the original for more visual information about who they are...

Like catnip to feline, Hip Hop just couldn't stay away. Under the direction of Travis Barker, Kid Ink and Ty Dolla $ign threw together a few bars to put their own West Coast stamp on the track. The remix isn't much of a departure from the original, but if you're MAGIC!, you've got to love it when other genres start dabbling in your own homemade sauce. Led by Nasri on the vocals, The reggae fusion band must be doing something right because they have found a way to unseat Magic the Gathering for the top SEO result on Google for Magic. Feel free and check out their new album Don't Kill the Magic that has been on shelves since early June...#WhyYouGottaBeSoCruel

MAGIC! feat. Kid Ink, Ty Dolla $ign & Travis Barker - Rude (Remix)

"My Bad if My Ex Try and Fight You"

With every production I hear from DJ Mustard, I become a bigger fan. In a year that has been relatively quiet for a lot of the industry heavyweights like The Runners, Danja, Lex Luger, Boi-1da, and 40, DJ Mustard has stepped his game up with attention grabbing beats that elevate artists to heights they wouldn't have achieved had he not given them something to go in on. His newest one with Kid Ink and Chris Brown samples Robin S's classic hit Show Me (below)...

If you're not up on Mustard's discography, he's the one who is behind B.O.B.'s Headband, Tyga's Rack City and Ludacris's Helluva Night to name a few. For me, it's a toss up between Headband and Show Me for my favorite beat of his to date. Real smooth cut below, give it a listen...#ShowMe

Kid Ink feat Chris Brown - Show Me (prod DJ Mustard)

Kid Ink is Poppin' on the Low

I'm more than a couple minutes late on the track below, but after giving @kid_ink's new album a listen and seeing his new video for Low Key Poppin, I had to share a few thoughts. In case you missed it, Kid just released a mixtape titled Daydreamer a week ago that was executive produced by @DEEJAYILLWILL. This album all the sudden became pretty noteworthy to me personally when I saw the likes of @THERUNNERS, @SMOKEDOUTLUGER and @thabizness on the production credits. Put it this way, I'm more of a fan of producers than I am artists because there's a lot stronger correlation between music I like and who produced it...#My2Cents

Fresh outta LA and ink'd up damn near head to toe, you can probably guess where his name came from. What you wouldn't expect is that he's been behind the scenes collaborating with a lot of your favorite artists while beginning to write his own stuff in preparation of launching his own solo career. Now signed by The Alumni Entertainment Group (who have one of the flashier sites I've seen in a while), you can expect that the near 30k downloads of his new album will only increase.

I did my part and copped the album and it'd be worth your while to check out tracks like Blackout and Live it Up, which should find a way on there more than a few iPods the next month or two. If you have any doubts check the video and ride out to the dope Runners beat...

The west coast needs someone to lead the new school Hip Hop charge and I'd throw Kid Ink in a small group of up and comers like @kendrick_lamar, @NIPSEYHUSSLE and @jayrock who have the ability to run with the likes of @THEREALCROOKEDI in keeping the buzz high out in Cali. Hip Hop needs Cali to be strong in order to continue being recognized as one of the most powerful genre's out. I'm cynical based on what the new crowd has to offer as a whole, but there's a lot of hope and the track below is a big reason why...

Kid Ink - Low Key Poppin' (prod by The Runners)