Fresh off a highly publicized NYC club fight at @wipnewyork that left more than a few unanswered questions regarding both his and @drake's relations with @rihanna, @chrisbrown decided to drop a random new single that won't be appearing on his new album Fortune that's scheduled for release on July 3rd. (As a side note, it will be interesting to see if @tp9network, who suffered an eye injury in the brawl, gets compensated through his $20 million lawsuit against the club for serving alcohol to two rivaling Hip Hop sects.) The track is a smooth, mid-tempo ballad produced by the legendary @PolowDaDon is calming and melodic in a way that fulfills the name of the track.
It's rare that you see an artist leak two high profile singles on one day, but that's what @chrisbrown did on Tuesday. With one dope single under his belt in the form of Turn Up the Music, he figured why not knock out two and three at once? Sweet Love featuring the production of @polowdadon will serve as the second single and the track below, Till I Die with @bigsean and @realwizkhalifa will serve as the third single off his upcoming album Fortune, which is scheduled for a May 4th release.
The track below is my favorite of the two singles, but not by much. It's tough when you're deciding between singles produced by Polow Da Don and Danjahandz, who are without question top 10 producers in the game. The track is about as breezy and laid back as it gets with CB opting to go the lyricist route spitting verses with two of the best in the game. In looking at the recorded tracks on Fortune, I see tracks we have yet to hear produced by @therealrunners, @iamdrumma and @davidguetta, making me think that three singles is probably the tip of the iceberg. Even better it looks like he's tracked down his great white buffalo too, which more or less puts a bow on his comeback from public scrutiny...for now at least...
Chris Brown feat Wiz Khalifa & Big Sean - Till I Die (prod by Danjahandz)
In case you missed Miss Keri's last album, In a Perfect World, you'd better hitch a ride to that bandwagon cause it's gonna be at capacity after her new No Boys Allowed album drops next Tuesday on Dec 21st. I finally took a look at the final tracklist today and became visibly excited, not like that fake oh that looks kinda cool style smile, I'm talkin' geeked like ear to ear type shit when I saw 4 @polow_da_don tracks, 2 @boi1da tracks, 2 @timbaland007 tracks, 2 @BEIMAEJOR written tracks, 1 track by Danja and even one from the two crazy Norwegians Stargate. Talk about talent behind the board, cot damn, that's a whole cavalcade of awesomeness when all put together and @misskeribaby will be sure to reap the benefits with her always on point vocals.
Cool to see so many great, talented, young artists and producers combining forces. It's like if you were a Miami Heat fan and general admirer of both Bron Bron and Bosh prior to this year. When they all combine forces to work together it's got the potential to be somethin' special. Yea I know what you're thinking the Heat have sucked this year, which takes away from the comparison, but y'all know what I'm sayin. Oh and how bout @jcolenc adding a verse and Bei Maejor throwin' in a few ad libs at the start of the track, I see yo Bei!
It would be ignorant to not go out and cop No Boys Allowed or at least entertain it as a gift idea. Especially if you haven't heard of her and can appreciate a supremely talented artist and the company she keeps. Why settle for college when you can go straight to the NBA???
Keri Hilson feat J. Cole - Buyou (prod by Boi-1da co-prod by Bei Maejor & Polow Da Don)
For being such an avid fan of everything Keri Hilson, I don't think I've posted enough of her stuff on the blog. That should all change with her upcoming No Boys Allowed due out sometime presumably in the next 6 months. I say presumably because the picture above is from @misskeribaby's new video for the song below The Way You Love Me, which will be her official first single off the album, replacing potential singles turned bust Breaking Point and Pretty Girl Rock.
Really all you need to know is that her vocals are going to be matched up exclusively with the production of Polow da Don and Timbaland on her album, which has a potential success rate that makes 100% feel like the starting line. To sum it all up, it's the perfect storm of awesome where two of the best producers in the game see how great of an artist she is and know how to bring out the best in her. The single below is exactly along those lines with @polow_da_don stepping up to take the first jab at a top 10 single. As far as a single choice is concerned, it's a no-brainer with Keri spreading her high pitched, high energy vocals over an uptempo club beat that will be sure to coerce it's fair share of hip to gyrate. That 808 bass is spot on too, giving it the audible depth that is necessary for running a dancefloor. Like any great producer, Polow hits the gas and break throughout the track, providing a contrast of tempo while managing to keep the energy on blast like it was on Four Loko, minus the blackout consequences. That stuff is no joke by the way, I've already hear more than my fair share of horror stories from people who have indulged.
Rather than go HAM on COKE with Four Loko, indulge in the track below and settle for a few beers and shots, it's now become old fashioned, but it remains a potent way to fight that awful sentiment known as inhibition...#DontBeASquare
Keri Hilson feat Rick Ross - The Way You Love Me (prod by Polow da Don)
Woooow...all I gotta say is Polow you are a damn fool for this beat man. The subliminally bangin' bass that gives way to an upbeat, syncopated rhythm, which is just plain stupid and deserving of nothing short of a bow followed by some dap and a quick pound. The beat methodically bangs, but at times sidesteps, giving way to a little of @usherraymondiv's seductive harmony and eventually the show-stopping verse by Jiggaman. I don't wanna sound too cliche when I say this is as can't miss of a single as you can get, but damn, go ahead and try to poke some holes in this track...oh what's that? It's too awesome?? Yea that's wassup, this one goes balls deep and is subtly dark, yet undeniably sexy.
Like everything I over-analyze, let's get into the meaning of Hot Toddy for a cold minute. Answers.com defines it as "A drink consisting of whiskey, brandy, or other liquor mixed with hot water, sugar, and spices." Hmm...not too much of a stretch considering Hip Hop's affinity to the mystical wine with the water taken out, know as cognac to sophisticated folk and just Yak to anyone familiar with Hip Hop. After listening to Hov's verse a few times, at least he makes an attempt to tie the whole cognac reference to the song's underlying focus on women/sex...
I was born a God
I made myself a king
which means I downgraded to a human being
you was born a Goddess I made you my queen
which mean we upgraded to Louis the thirteen
Hot toddy her body like cognac
For all you uneducated greenhorns Remy > Henny with Courvoisier residing in between on most occasions, but clearly being dependent on age (VSOP vs VS), like anything alcohol related (age is good). The Louis the 13th referred to in the verse above is made by Remy Martin and sells for about $3000 a bottle and is made from 1200 eaux-de-vie, some more than a century in age, then aged in 100+ year old barrels or tiercons in its own cellar. In other words, good luck getting to taste this stuff, there's a great reason why rappers (who are some of the only people in world who can afford to drink it) talk about it.
Hot Toddy
Got a little derailed there on that cognac lesson, but I went through a phase where that was all I drank and let me tell you what...there is a direct correlation between drinking it and having fun...in more ways than one. Suggestive anecdotal personal evidence aside, I might be crazy enough to even mix some Hot Toddys when the temps start cooling down a bit...or at least until Usher's new Versus EP drops on August 24th...which by the way has at least four legit number #1 singles with this track, Stranger, his new single DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love and There Goes My Baby.
...til then this will continue to heat up my iPod and now Phone (yea thats wassup, ya boy finally stepped his game up i game up a bit becoming an i4 pilot). Feel free to bang this one out in the trunk or dance all freaky to it...or both?
Usher feat Jay-Z & Ester Dean - Hot Toddy (prod by Polow Da Don)
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For most of you that don't know, Jim Crow is a Hip Hop group made up of legendary producer Polow Da Don, Cutty Cartel and Mr. Mo (wait you didn't know that?? haha). This one goes allll the way back to 2002 and mostly pre-dates any huge hits by the now legendary Polow, who is now the CEO of Zone 4 records (a subsidiary of Interscope). It also features Sean Paul of Youngbloodz who adds a verse and Hip Hop producer Jazze Pha, who makes it sound extra corny.
My guess is on top of never having heard of Jim Crow, you you probably haven't heard this track either. Before you go getting your hopes up about some awesome track, it's nothing special, but I find it entertaining and comical for a couple reasons. The most glaring reason being the alarming roar/scream throughout this track that sounds more like a prehistoric bird yelping than someone "holla"-ing.
The second reason being that ESPN anchor Stuart Scott has used the "Holla at a playa when you see me on the streets" line for years on Sportscenter without anyone fully knowing where he got it from. While most viewer probably gave him credit for being original, like any true hustler, he took something obscure and unheard of made it his own. (Except for these haters and Facebook users here here and here who clearly hate on his tag line). Look in the mirror before you accuse him of swagger jacking because all of us do it at some point, it's what defines pop culture. Just because he had his ear to the streets and heard something from the underground and attempted to be a pop culture opinion leader, doesn't give you player a hater visa with the right to purchase some of this reverse pimp juice below....
Leave it to homeboy Trey and Polow da Don to combine for a heartfelt, "baby I'm done bein' a player" R&B anthem. On first...second...damn even third listen I quickly passed over this track. But it's like any good professional team like the Lakers or even a player Lebron, song produced by Polow da Don are gonna continue to get the benefit of the doubt (listens), from refs and fans alike. While I wouldn't characterize this as a struggle at all, it's far from attention grabbing like some of Polow's other recent beats.
With lyrics like..
"She might be my lover
She makes me want no other
She don't care if I go to
The strip club (cause she want to go to)"
...you can sense the sort of respect being paid to women while only demeaning them...a little bit. I say that because Trey's well known playalistic tendencies don't exactly mesh with the idea of settling down, so when he sings about being "Already Taken", he still manages to keep it real by idealizing the perfect woman as one who would not only encourage, but also participate in a brief rain storm or scattered shower. Rainmaking aside, the song does do an adequate job of paying homage to that special lady that makes all the others before her pale in comparison. No better feelin' in the world than findin' someone who let's you do you and actually likes that sorry ass person you call yoself...haha. Fo real tho ladies, much respect to those of you who hold your man down and wouldn't hesitate to ride out with him regardless of how misguided he may be...
This one goes out to you...oh yea one more thing...."none of these chicks can't f with my baby"
When was the last time you actually laughed when you wrote "lol"? Grow up Peter Pan, lol has become the expression you put when you have nothing to say...whatever happened to uncomfortable silence or just not answering? Are we really that soft as a culture that we have to humor people everytime they think they're being funny (I sure hope so, my confidence is dependent on that) or is it just lazy flirting (both). Everyone knows lol has lived it's shelf life and it's about to get put on special sale...what's special sale you ask? I'm talkin' that "oh the price just got marked down by 50% at the grocery store cause whatever you're buyin' is damn near rotten" type of special sale...no need to patronize anymore...keep it 100 with exclamations, CAPS, even mix it up with a hehe if you're feelin' frisky, just don't be lazy with an lol...man that shit grinds my gears and in the words of Jigga, society "WE OFF THAT!"...
I needed to get that off my chest...as for the music, you may be wondering to yourself what does the person above have to do about laughing or even more importantly the track below, Fat Joe's new single Ha Ha feat Young Jeezy. Seem rising producer extraordinaire Scoop Deville also put his mark on this track with what you could call an "attention grabbing" beat. If you accused me of being a favoritist of loud, percussion laced, heavy beats I'd applaud you for payin' attention.
Time for you to take note of a bangin' first single by Joey Crack...oh and a little bit of Jeezy mixed in...sorry auxiliary, replaceable artists, the beat gets the dap on this one...
Producer Chase N' Cashe (Young Money, Lil Wayne) has a young squad of musicians/artists that form The Surf Club. The group consist of Hit-Boy, B. Carr, Chili Chil & Cashe , as well as the very underrated TY$L is on the hook. TY$L is so unheard of, I challenge you to go find his myspace. In face I'll take it a step further and give a little unsigned hype love with TY$L on the hook:
Back to the lecture at hand...Surf Club, they seem to be a talent bunch of cats coming together with a whole lot of great production. They are self described as a mixture between NERD and Dipset. Let me connect the dots here, I may not have made proper mention of this when I posted Lil Wayne's Drop the World track with Eminem, but in the fine print you would have noticed that song is produced by Hit Boy & Chase N Cash. Similarly, you may notice on my New Music bar on the right a certain BANGIN! track titled Pass the Dutch by Young Money feat Lil Wayne & Drake. Bet you can't guess who that is produced by?? Let me go another step further by saying both producers (Hit Boy and Chase N Cash) work under Polow Da Don's Zone 4 label, most recently known for driving the success of Keri Hilson's blossoming career, as well as Ciara and Rich Boy etc. Despite the sun not being able to get to them, it seems like anything underneath that Zone 4, Polow umbrella is pretty hot at the moment.
Seeing that songs that I like usually have the same shelf life as a banana (I'm talking when it's green and you get it from the grocery store and it's brown by the end of the week), when a song gradually grows on me like this one and I end up having a growing appreciation for the way a track is put together (i.e. that banana gets greener the longer it sits on top of the counter), that's telling. It's a gift and a curse being consistently haughty and promiscuous with music because like Jigga I'm always "On to the Next One", but having the self awareness to understand that allows me to use it for a barometer for certain songs like this one that are better than I first gave it credit for on first listen. You got me?
This track remind me of how much I enjoy Hip Hop ballads. Soft tone, strong words, smooth vibe...great ingredients. For all of you at home who care enough to know who is on what verse, 1st - Hit-Boy, 2nd - B.Carr, 3rd - Chili Chil, 4th - Chase N. Cashe. Check it out:
Surf Club feat TY$L - Cheers to the Hustler (prod by Hit Boy)HOT!!!
It's been quite a while since I've seen such a high volume of quality tracks from one artist find their way out on the public...um...internet I mean (same thing these days right?). Yes, Love in this Club was good and Moving Mountains was great, even classic I'd dare say with Usher's emotion soaked lyrics and Danjahandz's picturesque beat, but his album Here I Stand in it's entirety wasn't anything to write home about and not near the caliber of some of his other efforts like My Way or Confessions.
So what has changed since 2008 this is going to make this new album a return to classic Ursher material? Well for one, as of this summer he's now divorced from his former wife Temeka Foster, which surely will have some sort of emotional toll good or bad on his music. I'm not sure about Usher but some of the most creative stuff I've ever produced, created or written has been shortly after a break up...I'm guessing the reason for that can be blamed on the heightened emotion levels I poured into what I was doing. Hopefully we get the same from him with this new album...
Which brings us to his new project, Raymond vs Raymond, which is supposed to drop on March 2, 2010. Originally slated for a December release, the album has been pushed back with plenty of rumors regarding a relationship with a competing record company employee as well a plenty of...well...leaked promotional tracks. It remains to be seen if the below tracks will make the final cut, but honestly I don't think it matters whether people hear it now or hear it later, it's quality material that will sell no matter what in my opinion.
This track is quite a bit more lyrically explicit than any Usher track I've heard. The track says to me he's got that post-break up swag back and he's back to being in touch with how much the ladies have always loved him and just how far he can take that. Of course it doesn't hurt to have Polow da Don drop a crazy hot beat that amplifies the already overtly sexual lyrics. I don't really mind Nicki Minaj's verse either, she's finding her niche in the Hip Hop game, especially with her growing contingent of Barbie followers. Hot track and I'm guessing soon to be cleaned up radio hit.
My second favorite is more of smooth slow jam of sorts that is set off perfectly by none other than the man himself Jim Jonsin. Impossible to go wrong with him or Polow for that matter, but this one is on a grown and sexy slow jam tip. The beat takes a turn for the dramatic at the end when he goes semi-acapella and hits a few of those high notes. Really makes you think about how proud you are of that dime piece you managed to fool fall in love with you.
Now this one may actually end up being my favorite, but it hasn't quite had the opportunity to marinate on me yet. This is more on the U Got it Bad and Nice and Slow level of slow jams. I mostly blame B. Cox and his mastery through writing and producing R&B tracks. It really is ridiculous how many great songs he's been behind, give this one a quick read to get yourself learned on a legend.
Just for good measure why not throw in another slightly edgy and dark, in your face, upbeat banger with Danja. Keeping up with the whole single vibe, noting just how many girls there are out there, Mr. Raymond is definitely back on his grizzly adams if get what I'm sayin'. This one will be sure to catch the attention of all the ladies who enjoy the upbeat, in your face synthesizers that Danja is known for.
Yea, I could be accused of taking a nap on this one on first listen. This time I turned it up a little louder and it's definitely likable in that very radio friendly, measured clap sound that Will I Am/Black Eyed Peas have become known for. It does go pretty hard though, despite not sounding like an Usher track...or at least anything he's done previously. That might be a good thing though, this one is a little too simple lyrically for me to really love, but the way the beat keeps changing pace is pretty awesome, especially when it morphs itself into a slow jam around the 3:30 mark. Well put together track...
Bonus:Alright I couldn't keep it to 5 tracks, again there's just waaay too many US-HER quality tracks circulating, I couldn't do justice with 5.
Had to throw in another piano laced slow jam. This one warn boyfriends to not take your girl for granted cause "...you got caught slippin, now your girl's gone missin, now you're alone wishin'". Never fun to be on the losing side of the battlefield of love...this one ranks up there with R Kelly's - When a Woman's Fed Up.
Great producers, a mix of up-tempo club songs with a couple more classic slow jams...Raymond vs Raymond is gonna be exciting...Welcome back Ursher!
Looks like J Derulo is about to be three singles deep with his album still two months away from being released (Feb 2010). For this one, he stays true to his feel good, mid-tempo and upbeat style. If I were to compare it to a song, I would compare it to Chris Brown's Forever with it's methodical, back and forth, dance floor friendly beat and uplifting lyrics. Don't get it twisted, Forever > Sky's the Limit by far, but there are lots of similarities with the two talented artists with great voices combining with a great producer (Polow da Don & JR Rotem) to create a radio friendly pop anthem. Imagine that, a song trying to uplift it's listeners the same way the girl he talks about in the song does to him.
In my opinion Whatcha Say > Fairytale > In My Head > Sky's the Limit...(Fairytale has not been confirmed as a track that has made the official track list) just sayin'...can anyone say multi-platinum debut?
My guess is JD is trying to release his music as quickly as possible now that he has taken a lead-opening role in Lady Gaga's Monster Ball tour. It would probably be in his best interests for fans to know a couple more songs than Whatcha Say when they go to see him, so go ahead and give his 3rd single Sky's the Limit a listen:
When it came to upcoming albums from the freshman Hip Hop class of 2009, there wasn't an album I was more excited to hear than Wale's. The uncompromisingly independent way he goes about doing his own thing in Hip Hop is admirable. He knows that his back is up against the wall when it comes to putting Washington, D.C. on the map since he doesn't have the ability to ride the coat-tails of other local Hip Hop pioneers...he is the pioneer...and he is well aware of that. Chris Richards of the Washington Post wrote a good article titled Wale Is Poised to Put D.C.'s Rap Scene in the Spotlight, summarizing the burden and torch that Wale is carrying in repping DC to the fullest, in hopes of opening doors for other local artists. In the article Wale quoted saying:
"I think every man has his own path," Wale says by phone (from his tour bus as he zig-zags the country opening for Jay-Z). "But if D.C. comes out and supports the album heavy, I think that within 365 days at least two [local] rappers will get a major deal."
That's a good amount of pressure he's putting on himself by making that statement. I've got a lot of respect for that too, especially because he's done it his own way without a lot of support from not only the Hip Hop history of his city, but also an industry heavyweight. For example, you see B.O.B. having worked with and been signed by T.I., Drake is signed and works closely with Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi has the Kanye influence and connection on his side...Wale though? Maybe producer Mark Ronson? As good of a producer Mark has been and continues to be (think Amy Winehouse - Rehab), he still doesn't have that same name recognition and clout that Wale could springboard off of.
Some will argue that now that Wale has opened up for Jay-Z on his recent Blueprint 3 tour dates (Source: Ace Showbiz), name recognition is coming. Still the diversity of collaborations on his album show that there are no boundaries in sight for Wale and he's taking the D.C. Go-Go style rapping to another level in an effort to create his own sound and platform for Hip Hop within the D.C. area.
As far as Attention Deficit is concerned, I've come to appreciate the diversity of sound Wale brought to the table. I'll admit at first, it was hard for me to find the "diamond in the rough" tracks on this album as I continued to keep it in iPod circulation, but a few separated themselves from the pack.
From the beginning, Wale starts off with Triumph, an upbeat, trumpet laden beat that creates a high energy backdrop for listeners to be able to get a feel for his lyrical style. The first track does a decent job at getting the listeners attention, only to hit the brakes on the next track where he slows it down with a live band feel on Mama Told Me . The song serves as an attention to Hip Hop that he has arrived and he's bringing something new for a "stagnant" Rap game. Pretty vanilla track in my opinion, but most likely one of the more "necessary" tracks lyrically for Wale to get off his chest.
The third track, Mirrors, is definitely one of my favorites, 1. Because Bun-B has always been one of my favorite artists and he killed it, but also 2. because it fits Wale's style so well. You can tell that he and Mark Ronson have a lot of chemistry working together and I was a little disappointed to see that he and Wale only worked together on two tracks for this album. The upbeat, rolling guitar-synth combo mixed with the occasional trumpet compliment the above average verses on the track, which as I said before is one of the hidden gems.
The fourth track was one of my favorite tracks on the album, mostly because of the chorus by Weensey of Backyard Band and the fact that Gucci Mane was NOT originally featured on the track. I won't give you the long winded version of my dislike for Gucci Mane, but I really don't get why he's blowin' up right now. I know he's put out a crazy amount of mixtapes and been featured almost as much as Weezy, but where's the quality in the quantity? Believe me, I myself love me some Southern Trap Rap (always been a big Youngbloodz fan), but Gucci really doesn't impress me much, I just don't get it. And yea I'll admit I do like his new track, Spotlight , but it's because of Polow Da Don's production and Usher's catchy hook. Anyways, that's neither here nor there, Wale shines, but the shine needs some Armor All after Gucci gets on it.
Movin' on to another really catchy, upbeat track that Wale sounds at home on with World Tour. Great choice for a single since it is so high energy and engaging, while still showcasing his ability to match the tempo with his verses, hitting the mark, bar after bar. Jazmine definitely doesn't hurt, gooooodness she's got that raspy soul that we haven't gotten a taste of since Mary J back in the day. Not the best track on the album, but probably his best performance and most likable song to the masses.
Yea there's absolutely no doubt that Let it Loose with Pharrell is hands down the best track on the album. The way Wale weaves through the bouncy Neptunes beat with his multi-syllabic, equally bouncy lyrical attack shows experience and talent beyond his years. Oh any by the way Pharrell, that bridge on the track is a GOOD LOOK! Definitely my favorite part of the album when he takes the song to baller status by sayin:
Now tell em, It’s in the house, so throw your money in the air and stand in the couch Laugh at the money that’s stuck in the chandelier Tell them girls right there that the man right here!
Dipped in swag, amen P, between this and So Ambitious with Jay-Z, you are on a roll, back to being relevant and continuing to be known as one of the best at producing catchy party tracks.
Movin' with 90210, where Mark Ronson blesses us with a Nintendo sounding beat turned lullaby. The chemistry continues between Wale/Ronson and I'm not really sure where this track came from lyrically, but who knows maybe Wale has been spurned by the model types before, so he had to put them on blast a bit. Not one of my favorite tracks lyrically, but I'm not about to look down on him for venting about whatever caused him to pen the track...the storytelling angle was well done.
Shades is more of a laid-back smooth ride out track, showing a different side of Wale. A side that also works for Wale because just as he can pull off the fast paced verses, he can also sound very at home on a stop and go, bouncy mid tempo track where it can be more difficult to mesh the lines with the beat. Impressive delivery on this track, especially for a first album.
Personally, I like World Tour a little more than the next song Chillin' as a single choice, but I can see why including Lady GaGa on the chorus would only help the public appeal on the track. Definitely not scared to diversify the collabos, which is how it should be. The lack of allegiances is one of Wale's assets when it comes to him sounding unique and different. This is more on the pop side of the fence, but let's be honest you have to have a couple of these on an album to get it to sell copies these days. Decent track and much better than the next track Radio, which is about as much of a filler track as you can get. Sounds like a few of the earlier songs on the album with the trumpets (don't overdue it Wale, it's a good, unique sound, but too much can be bad).
The next two tracks Contemplate and Diary are the two biggest hidden gems on the album. Contemplate is a deep, thought provoking, lyrically analytical track that explores all the inner thoughts and insecurities of Wale. The Rihanna chorus is so simple it fits like a glove with the subject matter. Very well executed, not overdone and the end result is easy to appreciate as a result. Diary on the other hand is my second favorite track on the album. An ode to black women and the challenges and insecurities that men who try and date them have to face. The last Def Poetry Jam style verse that Wale drops is some classic shit:
See all I ever want to do is be relevant, Just tell me that I ever meant, Anything or that you could ever see me and you in another light, But it's like the dark winter-endures the darkest nights, By the wrong men, Mostly all of them, Have made you somewhat incapable, Of a first impression, What I do is channel my aggression, With no cable, Or antenna just intentions To impress you, If capable, Hoping that the material possessions can materialize a better you, Cars-nothing I drive Can drive better this frame of mind With such an ugly picture in the end, Money-Nothing I buy Can buy me more time For your ears to say to your heart to listen Diamonds-A girls best friend, Is what they say, But believe me with the right allegiance shorty you gonna shine anyways, And every day that goes by is a couple more lines in her diary, The day before is better than the present, So anyone presented in her presence, Endures these life...sentences, No key for release, No reason to be around, Her mind's in the clouds, She writes it all down, In her diary... Diary - Wale
Big fan of the depth of lyrics and play on words while doing so...ain't nothin' more impressive these days that creative insight through poetry and Wale took us to the deep end with Diary. To sum up the song, c'mon ladies, just cause your man did this and that in your past relationship doesn't mean you have the right to assume I would do the same thing or make me feel bad for what he did to you in the past. Sometimes you have to forget to move on and find happiness because no man should have to pay for sins that your past man committed.
The last two tracks Beautiful Bliss and Prescription are two relatively bland tracks, but I will give a shout out to J Cole who killed his verse on Beautiful Bliss. The album definitely ends on a mellow tip, which I don't have a huge problem with due to the abundance of high energy tracks sprinkled throughout.
Music and album aside, Wale is doin' more work marketing than a lotta artists. For example, check the crispy 59 50 fitted he created:
GWDJ Verdict: Overall a very impressive debut album for Wale. I would have given it 4.5 headphones out of 5 on the rating had Bittersweet Life feat Colin Munroe and Letter feat John Mayer been included on the album instead of being throw in Bonus tracks. Nonetheless, Wale's album gave a shot of life to Hip Hop, going with a more contemporary, live band style of Hip Hop, which is becoming more common these days as some of the better up and coming rappers are stepping their game up both production wise and lyrically. I actually think when it comes to delivery, Wale has a step up on Kid Cudi and B.O.B.
As an aside, I'll comment that when you put it all together I still felt like Cudi's album > Wale's album because the amount of emotion Cudi poured into that creation was amazing and will continue to be amazing as I still have yet to take it out of my car cd player or iPod. Bobby Ray, you're up next and the bar has been set extremely high, so don't get Paul Pierce'd like Chris Bosh when he didn't come correct.
Oh and for the record Drake > Kid Cudi > Wale > B.O.B. currently for the viewers at home...Bobby Ray has the most potential to move up with a strong debut album due out in April and Drake...well...he may just end the discussion for best artists out of 2009 with his upcoming Thank Me Later project due out Valentines Day.
Here are a few of my favorite cuts from Wale's album too:
Since then apologies have been made, physical scars have healed and although much of his fan base has eroded due to his violent act, I predict that America will continue to be the forgiving country it has always been and slowly warm up to CB's music again. He'll continually be haunted by his mistake (as he should be) and be fighting an uphill battle with public appeal...
With that being said, both Chris and Rihanna are now turning to music to vent about what went down. The first instance of this will be when you hear Rihanna's new single Russian Roulette, which is extremely vivid depiction of the struggle that anyone goes through in a domestic violence riddled relationship. The chorus tells it all:
"And you can see my heart beating You can see it through my chest And I’m terrified but I’m not leaving Know that I must must pass this test So just pull the trigger"
The theme sticks with you in a very honest, I've been there sort of way and I'd argue that although she's accurately comparing staying in a battered relationship to rolling the dice by playing Russian Roulette, the brutal imagery with the gunshot at the end of the song may be a little much for the younger demographic of her fans. Just sayin', I was a little taken aback the first time I heard it, but hopefully it has the desired effect of shedding some light on domestic violence...give it a listen:
On the other side of the fence, we have CB, who is doing his best to get back in the game with a hot first single with Captain Cameo, none other than Weezy F. Check the video if you haven't seen Transform Ya:
Put it this way, he did what he needed to do to get himself back on the radio with the track(I mean honestly even if people hate on him, they'll make the excuse that they like it because of Lil Wayne, let's be honest). The second single is him putting in his time with an "I want you back and I'm willing to rebuild from the ground up" effort with his song Crawl.
"Everybody sees it's you I'm the one that lost the view Everybody says we're through I hope you haven't said it too
So where do we go from here With all this fear in our eyes And where can love take us now And we've been so far down We can still touch the sky"
Needless to say, it's a slow to mid-tempo ballad that shows his softer side. He's always done a great job at crafting slow jams, so this is right up his alley and will definitely have some radio appeal. He's 1 for 2 in my opinion on singles on his new album Graffiti with this single being the less successful of the two. Check out Crawl:
As a bonus, here's a continuation of his song Crawl as he continues to lament the end of his relationship with his song So Cold, saying:
"If you ever see her If you ever meet her If you ever get a chance to sit down, talk to her Then tell her it's so cold It's so cold, it's so cold Here without her And tell her I miss her Tell her I need her Tell her I want her I really want her to come back home, back to keep me warm Tell her I'm sorry, I'm really sorry Can you forgive me? Please forgive me And come back home, keep me safe and warm"
Check out the track, it's a much better effort at a single as Polow lays a picturesque piano beat to set the vibe for an "I'm missin you" "I'm so lonely and cold" type track.
Needless to say, both young artists are using the experience as an emotional springboard for their new albums. As a result, we as fans get an out pour of emotionally charged music from two extremely talented pop stars. I'm betting both albums will end up being one of their best and I hope that as we fans benefit from their inspired work, they will also grow and continue to mature musically and in life through all this...
We've officially got a pulse on 50 cent's career and it's in the form of this comeback, radio friendly single Baby By Me. Luckily for him, he smartened up a bit and put together some coherent lyrics and let Polow and Ne-Yo do the leg work.
Man this new Sean Kingston album is starting to approach that classic level with songs like I'm at War, Face Drop, Why U Wanna Go, Fire Burning and now Wrap U Around Me. Sean Kingston - Wrap U Around Me (prod by JR Rotem)Hotttttt!
While I'm at it, might as well sprinkle in a few new tracks the ladies drop it to in the club...
album drops next Tuesday on Dec 21st. I finally took a look at the final tracklist today and became visibly excited, not like that fake oh that looks kinda cool style smile, I'm talkin' geeked like ear to ear type shit when I saw 4 @polow_da_don tracks, 2 @boi1da tracks, 2 @timbaland007 tracks, 2 @BEIMAEJOR written tracks, 1 track by 
