"A Place Where I Can Go, To Take This Off My Shoulders"

Over the years we've all grown accustomed to soundtracks being attached to marquee movies we go see in theaters. That model hasn't evolved much over the years, but in a few weeks we're going to see a twist to the time old model. On December 22nd a Netflix original movie Bright is going to be released for streaming. The movie stars Will Smith and it's a fantasy flick full of orcs and elves that have coexisted with humans for centuries.

I'll admit, it was a tough sell for me too. Both the Netflix only release and reeling in Will Smith for a fantasy cop movie. What makes it even more interesting is the made-for-streaming movie is going to have a full soundtrack. Not just any soundtrack either, it's going to contain tracks like the one below featuring MGK, X Ambassadors, and Bebe Rexha. Home is everything you'd want in a movie anthem. It hits you in feels with a folk hook, stellar female vocals, and a vibrant sing-songy rap vibe. Basically picture your favorite X Ambassadors track with a few awesome Machine Gun Kellly verses and a Bebe Rexha vocal assist. There's a lot to wrap your head around with this one, but if the entire soundtrack is anywhere near as good as what we hear below then we'll all be in for a treat...#Home



Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors & Bebe Rexha - Home

"Let It Go, Cause I'ma I'ma Go For Broke"

There's a lot to sink your teeth into with Machine Gun Kelly's new single Go For Broke. First and foremost, Hip Hop heads like me immediately noticed the "Ahhhhh" breadcrumb at the start of the track signifying a Runners beat. Needless to say, their contribution to the track was a huge reason why it necessitated a post. Second, if you're an X Factor fan, you'll enjoy that season 9 winner James Arthur chipped in a stellar hook on the track. His voice alone was a golden ticket to Top 40 appeal. And all this is not to take anything away from Machine Gun Kelly who has vaulted himself into the lime light with a succession of noteworthy singles. When you add this to At My Best and Bad Things, you've got yourself a foundation for a great album. Speaking of which, Bloom hit e-tailers on Friday. At this point if you haven't already jumped over to Spotify to give the album a listen then you're missing out...#GoForBroke

Machine Gun Kelly feat James Arthur - Go For Broke (prod by The Runners & Monarch)

"You Don't Deserve Me at My Best"

Real talk, Machine Gun Kelly is cornering the market on inspirational Hip Hop. I use the phrase "Hip Hop" loosely because both Bad Things and his new one below (At My Best) are every bit as much pop as they are Hip Hop, but that doesn't take away from how dope they are. His newest heat rock features an addicting hook from Hailee Steinfeld and enough emotion soaked lyrical inspiration to get the attention of anyone who's ever been overlooked.

When I say overlooked, I mean never been a "cool kid" or felt like they're accepted for who they are. The underlying message is that everyone has faults and makes mistakes, but you shouldn't allow that to slow you down on your pursuit of being great. Hate on it for sounding too Pop, but the world needs more confidence inspiring tracks like this one. Having gone through some stuff myself and previously relied on music as a friend to get me through it, I've got a special place in my music library for tracks like this. Word has it MGK's third studio album will be dropping any time now and I don't need to tell you how close the kid from Cleveland is from super stardom...#AtMyBest

Machine Gun Kelly feat Hailee Steinfeld - At My Best

Videos of the Week February 3rd

If only every week could be as hype as this week's top five. Performances were the name of the game this week, front to back. Led by the Rockin' 1000 people who congregated in Cesena, Italy to form the largest rock band on earth to perform Nirvana's classic, Smells Like Teen Spirit. I'll admit, I thought it was going to sound like a catastrophe of sound, but it delivered the goods. If you don't get hype seeing all those people with drum sets and electric guitars then you weren't watching the same video that I was.

Then NPR hosted both D.R.A.M. and Gallant for a couple Tiny Desk concerts. Both were impactful performances as I gained more respective for D.R.A.M. and became more convinced that Gallant is far and away the most dynamic singer in music right now. Simply put, you need to watch both. And while you're at it, give MGK and Camila Cabello's rendition of Bad Things a quick watch. The mix of a nostalgic classic with updated vocals and rap verses made for one of the more noteworthy collaborations over the past year. And last, but never ever least, here's yet another example of why Jon Bellion's live show is must see. On Fallon he led off his performance with an unreleased verse “Hall & Oates” over a live rendition of a J Dilla beat as a tribute to one of his idols. I've seen him perform All Time Low maybe 10 times now and every time he does it slightly different and adds in a new unique element. There's so much more to come from Jon B in 2017 and a performance on Fallon is a strong indicator of how widely his talent begin to be regarded...#AllTimeLow

Rockin' 1000 Performs Smells Like Teen Spirit

D.R.A.M. Performs Five Songs From NPR's Tiny Desk

Gallant Performs at NPR's Tiny Desk

Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello Perform Bad Things on Ellen

Jon Bellion Performs J Dilla Tribute of All Time Low on Fallon

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week December 2nd

There wasn't really any rhyme or reason to this week's top five, so without further organization, here goes. Leading the way are visuals from everyone's favorite radio hit from DJ Snake and Bieber. Sure, Let Me Love You is catch af, but something tells me you might see an even better version of the track posted on here tomorrow (#foreshadowing). Moving along, someone finally managed to corner The Weeknd in a studio long enough for an interview. Hearing Zane Lowe interview Abel made me realize how my perception of him as some cracked out Starboy isn't entirely accurate. Sure, there has to be loads of talent in deck to get him to where he is now, but hearing about his process of making music and how his new album came together was an interesting watch. Mad respect Weeknd.

For a bit of concert porn, mau lovers got themselves something to get all excited about when Joel unveiled a new cube design for his live set. Knowing how much he nerds out over technology, I'm sure no expense will be spared in making it nothing short of awesome. For a bit of novelty, we got to see Flume re-imagine Ghost Town DJs My Boo live in studio with Vince Staples. Dude is a wizard on the MPC, so you could imagine how interesting his choppy, instrument driven remake sounded. And last, but never the least, MGK came through with Camila Cabello with some love/hate visuals that bring to life the story told on Bad Things. All I can say is, find me a more sexy and catchy hook out right now...#BadThings
DJ Snake feat Justin Bieber - Let Me Love You (Video)

Zane Lowe Interviews The Weeknd in Studio

deadmau5 Reveals His New Cube For Live Performances

Flume Covers Ghost Town DJs - My Boo With Vince Staples Live

Machine Gun Kelly feat Camila Cabello - Bad Things (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

90s Flashback: MGK and Camila Do Fastball's Bad Things

As a daily purveyor of music, I've grown increasingly critical of artists when they decide to cover or sample songs. The years of music consumption has made me jaded of artists trying to make a name for themselves by piggy backing the success of others. In other words, it's so easy to take a noteworthy single, make a few changes and call it your own. There's an added level of respect given to original singles and that's the way it should be in my opinion.

All that being said, Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello (of Fifth Harmony) knocked Fastball's Out of My Head sample out of the park on their new single, Bad Things. For those of you who grew up on 90s music, there's a thick slice of nostalgia that's ahead when you press play...

Back in 1998, that was everyone's favorite song, hands down. And to their credit, the duo of MGK and Camila did their part by weaving together a stellar Hip Hop ballad. Led by a hook that will lure you in from the start, you want to keep listening. The tempo was perfect for MGK's pitter-patter flow and if there's one thing he does well, it's heartfelt verses. Follow me over to Spotify to put it on repeat for a few laps, y'all...#BadThings

Machine Gun Kelly feat Camila Cabello - Bad Things

Videos of the Week May 22nd

It was an extremely busy week for new music releases and an even busier week for music videos. Leading the way was Taylor Swift's new collabo with Kendrick Lamar that momentarily had the internet on pause. The video is up to 51 million views in less than a week, which speaks to how ridiculously big Taylor and K Dot are.

If you're wondering what it's like to be an aspiring electronic music DJ and you can put up with Zac Efron, check out the We Are Your Friends trailer. If you have been wondering what it would be like to see Snoop sailing through the clouds with Stevie, we've got some of that too this week. If crazy collaborations are what you're interested in, give D Guetta's new one a look. And if you are in the mood for a dramatic video that tells a gritty story, Machine Gun Kelly's new video for A Little More. In my eyes, it's in the lead for best Hip Hop track of 2015 at the quarter gate...#ALittleMore
Taylor Swift feat Kendrick Lamar - Bad Blood (Video)

We Are Your Friends (Trailer)

David Guetta feat Nicki Minaj, Afrojack & Bebe Rexha - Hey Mama (Video)

Snoop Dogg feat Stevie Wonder & Pharrell - California Roll (Video)

Machine Gun Kelly feat Victoria Monet - A Little Bit (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

"It Always Rains Before the Rainbow"

I can say with complete certainty that this is the first Hip Hop track in 2015 that legitimately moved me. I know the comparisons are all too convenient and extremely played out, but Machine Gun Kelly's A Little More has a lot of the same qualities of my favorite Eminem songs. From the beginning piano lead with Victoria Monet's intro vocals to the violin addition before the beat drops, it all comes together into a really well put together track.

The underlying positive message with deeper social undertones helps, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's vigor in MGK's diction that augments the army of emotion needed to drive the track to a successful pinnacle. As if the track wasn't dope enough as just audio, there's an equally well-crafted lyric video that does an excellent job of hammering home the message. Feel free and press play as I stand up and slow clap for Kels who is doing everything he can to fulfill his potential as one of the leaders in Hip Hop...#ALittleMore

Videos of the Week June 27th

Lots of excitement around the globe with World Cup in full swing and that includes the former soccer doormats of the world, the good ol' USA. Enter Lupe Fiasco who just so happens to have a super inspirational new track that could be the rallying cry for the USA's run through the lose or go home tournament that starts next week. In the world of EDM, Steve Aoki has been making a lot of noise of late, both through his music and through his new video for Free the Madness. I'm still a bit skeptical of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles upcoming movie, but in Megan Fox...err...I mean Michael Bay we trust? Please don't mess up bringing to life the actions figures of my childhood.

If you're wanting some random entertainment, check out some old folks being introduced to Google Glass. Man I hate that one day I'm going to be that out of touch with technology. And in case you're still not sure what in the heck turning down for what means, how about asking random people on the streets? It really is amazing how much lyrics sometimes don't make sense...at...all...#TurnDownForWhat
Lupe Fiasco - Stellar Light (US Men's National Team Anthem)

Steve Aoki feat Machine Gun Kelly - Free the Madness (Video)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles New Trailer

Elders React to Google Glass

Turn Down For What Lyrics on the Street

Photo Credit: YouTube

Steve Aoki is the Hip Hop EDM Bridge

Well shoot, Lil Jon already broke the ice this week, so how bout another EDM track with a splash of Hip Hop. Who would have though we'd ever hear Machine Gun Kelly vocalizing a bit? Man, he sounds like he could be a Mike Shinoda replacement if Linkin Park was ever down a man.

Like most Steve Aoki tracks, this one goes balls to the wall throughout the majority of the song. It's upbeat, lose yourself type party music that is destined to be played loudly. Selfishly, I really hope the whole Hip Hop EDM blending continues because I miss hearing good Hip Hop. If I can't get really listenable Hip Hop anymore, then I'll continue to keep hoping the two genres blend into each other so that I can have my cake and eat it too...#FreeTheMadness

Steve Aoki feat MGK - Free the Madness

Cleveland Stand Up! Here Comes E-V

You might listen to the track below and think, "hmm that's an interesting mix of EDM and Hip Hop," but what it amounts to is three good friends from the same town just having fun together. Proudly repping northeast O-H, the trio of DJ E-V, Machine Gun Kelly, and Lorine Chia from Cleveland put on for their city (as Kanye/Jeezy would say) with GoodTime. I'll always have the utmost respect for the artists that work from the ground up by grinding through the mixtape circuit for years before making it big. That's the path that E-V has taken, so if you feel so inclined to support a homie on a real come up, hop on over to iTunes and cop this one...#GoodTime

E-V Ft. Lorine Chia & Machine Gun Kelly – GoodTime

"You Had Me Like a Dread Locked Down"

With just over a month til @machinegunkelly's debut album Lace Up hits, it's only fair that he drop the obligatory mixtape to get the hype machine running. I'm sure there's someone out their doing the due diligence to prove that the mixtape right before an album works well because it seems like everyone and their brother's mother's cousin is doing it nowadays.

For all of you that missed it two weeks ago, his new tape is titled EST 4 Life and includes the track below. Not only did he sample of one my favorite bands (@thescript) best songs (For the First Time), but he showed an introspective side that is a stark contrast to his usual self. Maybe I'll partially take that back because he shares his love lost story in a real abrasive way, but would you expect anything less from MGK?

If you haven't heard the song, I'd encourage you to watch the @Spordy19XX directed visuals below...

The real question is have we heard his best already with Invincible already having been released? My inclination is to say yes, but I'm hopeful the answer is no. Is it time for the weekend yet?...#PowerRager

Machine Gun Kelly - Her Song
|Mixtape

Videos of the Week July 13th

Interesting week for videos in that the two most interesting videos came in the form of interviews rather than videos. The most interesting by far borders around the potential ramifications of the $10 million lawsuit filed by @LordFinesseDITC vs @MacMiller. The dispute it over Mac's Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza track that sampled Finesse'sHip 2 Da Game from 1995.

This past week, they have traded social networking shots first claiming that they hadn't talked and then talking, but now the situation has deteriorated on twitter. The track was never on a studio album, but on Mac's 2010 K.I.D.S. mixtape. While neither song really made huge waves, in the court of law it's all about setting standards and in Hip Hop the sampling/copyright standard on beats has been non-existent. Think about how many rappers have freestyled over beats that weren't theirs on mixtapes. Can you imagine a world without free sampling in Hip Hop? That world is not somewhere I want to live...#FreeSampling

Timbaland feat Ne-Yo - Hands in the Air (Video)

Werner von Wallenrod Breaks Down Mac Miller vs DJ Finesse $10 million lawsuit

DMX feat MGK - I Don't Dance (Video)

B.O.B. Freestyles in The Backroom (Video)

Narduwar Interviews DJ Premier

Videos of the Week June 8th

Just when you think you're safe and about to meet the vice president, here comes freakin' @aplusk and his never ending shenanigans. An earthquake in a parking garage with pregnant woman getting tasered by her husband? GTFOH! Either way it was entertaining as hell to watch.

Whole bunch of other high profile videos too including @kanyewest's new video for Mercy and @coldplay's video with @rihanna for Princess of China. All in all a stacked week for videos with plenty of big names if you swing that way.

Kanye West feat Big Sean, Pusha T, & 2 Chainz - Mercy (Video)

Drake Gets Punk'd

MGK feat Ester Dean - Invincible (Video)

Coldplay feat Rihanna - Princess of China (Video)

Flo Rida - Hey Jasmin (Video)

Machine Gun Kelly is Invincible With His Dre Beats On

If you're like me, then you saw the commercial below a few times and wondered who in the hell is the dude spittin' like his life is about to end if he doesn't tear apart a hot 16...

Lo and behold it was your boy @MACHINEGUNKELLY, who just won MTV's Hottest Breakthrough Artist Award. Can't hate on bit on the organic reaction of him finding out the news he won. Good god the way this is dude from Cleveland is blowing up, he's on track to live up to the @eminem comparisons that are sure to come. There's something about rappers that emerge from making minimum wage to a point where they fought tooth and nail (with performances like this) their way to the top with the way they weave words together on the mic. The appreciation he has shown for every bit of success he has garnered thus far is really cool to watch and easy for me as a blogger to support.

Man I'm really at a loss for how to explain to you guys dope this track is. Usually I can throw together a few adjectives that come to mind when listening to the song as I write, but I'm at a total loss. From the start, before listening to the whole track, I knew it was going to be epic when I saw @AlexDaKid produced the track. There hasn't been a song that he has done the past year that hasn't risen to the top. The best words I can come up with to describe MGK's delivery on Invincible are vigorous, relentless, and fierce...but I'm still feeling like I'm underselling the raw emotion he bleeds all over this track. Add to that the blatant Dre Beats push both on the HTC Rezound commercial and also in the first verse "But I can’t feel nothin’, outside these Dre Beats". @iamdiddy is not a fool and there's good reason why he went all out to win the bidding war for MGK's talents.

This is only the beginning folks and to be honest, I got just as hype to this song at the gym today when I put it on repeat as I did when Lose Yourself came out. For those of you thinkin' that I'm just gassing you up, press play below...then we'll talk...#DoItIDareYou

Machine Gun Kelly feat Ester Dean - Invincible (prod by Alex da Kid)

|iTunes

White Boys Are Taking Over Hip Hop

Alright @machinegunkelly, I hear you and what you're doin'. Chalk this up as the second track of yours to catch my attention. And it's not because you attacked the bars like an alcoholic who doesn't GAF, it's more because the multi-syllabic assaults reminded me of some of my favorite artists like @Yelawolf and @TWISTAgmg.

Why do I like his new track below? For starters, daps & lbs are in order for whoever did the beat because the rat-a-tat bass line fits your style perfectly. The in your face vulgarity is offset with the tranquil hook delivered by @mikeposner and it makes the track more interesting. Maybe I'm a sucker for silky smooth hooks, but after a ferocious verse, it's needed to reel back in the listener so they don't get too alienated by the ruggedness of the storytelling. Again, I don't think @iamdiddy is a fool, so I'm gonna buy a ticket on this dude's bandwagon and keep hoping for new material. Don't hate, #LACEUP like everyone else will on October 14th when they cop the Rage Pack...

Oh and if you need to know more about Machine Gun Kelly, look no further than his Twitter intro...

"Pro-#PowerRAGER. I like threesomes, chocolate milk, social studies and I'm so Cleveland its a God damn shame..."

Machine Gun Kelly feat Mike Posner - On Fire (Drug Dealer Girl Part 2)

Bad Boy's New White Boy

Seems like every big record label needs a white boy these days. First it was Eminem, who blazed a trail for the likes of Asher Roth, Mac Miller and Yelawolf. Enter new Bad Boy/Interscope signee @machinegunkelly, a 21 year old from Shaker Heights (Cleveland) who makes a living with his rapid fire flow (hence the name). I'll let Sway fill in the rest of the details...

I can't hate one bit on the come up MGK has made from rapping in his basement, all the way to the bidding war that Diddy ended up winning. Which brings me to my next point, would Diddy not only invest, but outbid other prospective labels over just anyone? If the shoe fits, wear it (see Ciroc) and after one song, I'm listening. Shouts out to @jonathanrotem on the beat and @livvifranc on the hook on Warning Shot...#Duck

Machine Gun Kelly feat Livvi Franc - Warning Shot (prod by JR Rotem)