"Let Me Carry You Home, Let Me Carry You Home"

Let me get this straight, Tiesto, Stargate, and Aloe Blacc went in on a track together? Star-studded (pardon the pun) doesn't scratch the surface on the ceiling of the talent on Carry You Home. Ignoring my impossibly high expectations for the track, it's a really chill track. Aloe Blacc's vocals always fall easy on the ears, especially when he's able to hit those high notes on the hook.

The mix of styles between Tiesto and Stargate proved to be an interesting mix. You've got a progressive house influence from Tiesto and a smooth pop vibe from Stargate. Simply put, Top 40 is going to have a hell of a time trying to ignore this one. Chalk it up as a rare, elite level collabo that actually didn't disappoint... #CarryYouHome



Tiesto feat Stargate & Aloe Blacc - Carry You Home

"I Got You Keeping Me Afloat, When I'm in Your Waterfall"

I've been writing about Stargate tracks dating back eight years ago when they were producing tracks for the likes of Brandy and Beyonce. The Norwegian production duo have a discography that would put 99% of producers to shame both on the number of collaborations they've pulled together and the star power they've worked with over the years. Just in case you forgot about them, they just released another new noteworthy single with vocal help from Pink and Sia. It's every bit the power duet you'd expect from two of the best vocalists in the game, but the slow and sexy Dancehall vibe is why you'll keep hitting play. It may have taken them years, but Waterfall is the first time Stargate listed themselves as the lead artist on a track. They must like playing the behind the scenes, supporting role because their music speaks for itself. Hopefully they'll put a whole album together so I can continue to speculate why it's taken them so long to play the Batman role...#Waterfall



Stargate feat Pink & Sia - Waterfall

"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)

"9/11 Not the Day, But That's the Whip"

2013 has been kind in a lot of ways to Wiz Khalifa. He's now got a son and new shoe collection with Converse. Now that he's into the business of selling shoes, it's no big surprise that the lead single off his upcoming album is called Look What I Got On. Matter of fact, Wiz just debuted the single last night at Hennessy’s Pre VMA Party...
On first glance, I was pumped when I saw that his first single was produced by Stargate. Then I listened to it and I'll put it this way, don't expect another Black & Yellow. It's a catchy track, but comparatively speaking, not my favorite single by Wiz. You'll probably find yourself singing along at some point, but Wiz does his best Twista impression on the track, which is a different look. Still, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to his upcoming album...#BlaccHollywood

Wiz Khalifa - Look What I Got On (prod by Stargate)

"It's Like Acid Rain in a Hurricane"

I don't care who you are, when you can get Jay-Z to offer you a record deal with Roc Nation, then turn around and release a lead single featuring @JColeNC with production from Stargate and writing by @siamusic, you've got my attention. I hate to make it seem like my blog is a "you gotta know somebody to get in the club" type of website, but since I can only post once a day, I gotta make it good. Unfortunately I get a good amount of music sent to me on a daily basis that doesn't get posted as a result, but no aspiring artist is afraid of competition and I do listen to everything sent my way, so keep it coming.

Anyways, back to the point of this post. It's no secret that associating with certain producers or featuring certain artists who I already have a lot of respect for will definitely help you get posted. With all the star power @AlexisJordan enlisted for Acid Rain, she was able to make her debut on the blog tonight. Best part about it is Stargate even took a piece of @bingo_players' single Rattle on the instrumental, which added a quirky element to the beat. There's no doubt Alexis has a great voice and she showed it off to the max on the hook by hitting notes that only vocalists like Sia could reach. Pretty dope Buzz track all things considered...#RocNation

Alexis Jordan feat J Cole - Acid Rain (prod by Stargate)

"I'll Swallow That Pearl, Tongue Like I'm Havin' A Seizure"

About two weeks ago I came across an interesting @DJCosmicKev interview with @RealWizKhalifa where Wiz claimed that @Drake and @liltunchi were going to be on the remix for Work Hard Play Hard. My first reaction was "hmm that would probably be cool if his "rap powers" came through and the remix came to fruition." Now that the remix dropped, I'm left only mildly impressed because Drake was swapped with @YoungJeezy. I've said it before, there's some Jeezy stuff I really like, but as a whole, not my cup of tea and definitely not a suitable Drake fill in.

The real question remains, will Drake tack on a verse for the remix that will land on O.N.I.F.C.? What has me most excited is that he's only let loose with one single so far and his albums are known for being chalked full of single worth material. For example, on Rolling Papers he had 2-3 tracks that were good enough to be singles, but he didn't release them as singles. When I'm Gone, Wake Up and Cameras could have all very easily been #1 singles, but other equally solid tracks were picked instead. To me, there's nothing more gangster than knowing you'd got single quality tracks on the album and you don't even need to release them to push the album to gold status. That's not easy to do these days and I sure as hell don't need two hands to count the number of albums that have been THAT littered with great singles in the past two years.

O.N.I.F.C hits shelves September 18th, which means I'd take 10 to 1 odds saying that I will post at least two more Wiz tracks in the next month...#BetDat

Wiz Khalifa feat Young Jeezy & Lil Wayne - Work Hard, Play Hard (Remix) (prod by Stargate)

"The Bigger the Bill, the Harder You Ball"

It may seem like @realwizkhalifa just released Rolling Papers, but surprisingly, it's been a whole year since his big time studio debut dropped. It should come as no surprise that Wiz is continuing to strike while the iron is hot with a follow up album titled O.N.I.F.C (Only N****a in First Class). I'll put it this way, if your brand of music was so well liked last year that you ended up making 11 million dollars in 2011, why not set a goal to make $100 million this year? Even better, why not push it to the limit and collaborate with @drdre while you're at it?

The track below, Work Hard, Play Hard is Wiz's very radio friendly lead single off his upcoming album due out August 28th. It's got the production pedigree with Stargate (who produced Black and Yellow and Roll Up) and @itsbennyblanco (produced Stereo Hearts and Payphone) cooking up the beat. The verses go harder than most Wiz tracks, but the hook is a sugary, 360 windmill dunk. You can bet the Taylor's will be coming out of the woodwork in support for his new single that is cut from the same cloth as his previous Rolling Paper singles. Me, I've got no problem at all with that since I was such a big fan of his last album...#NoSophomoreSlump

Wiz Khalifa - Work Hard, Play Hard (prod by Stargate & Benny Blanco)
|iTunes

"1, 2, 3 and 4 Come On Let Me Know if You Want Some More"

Sometimes timing can be unfortunate when it comes to releasing a single. Let me clarify, sometimes when an artist releases a new single within a week of their album dropping, it has the potential to get upstaged by other tracks on the album as a result of their album leaking early. Case in point @rihanna's new single You Da One (scheduled to hit iTunes tomorrow) compared to the show stopping potential of her collaboration with @s_c_ on Talk That Talk.

In the grand scheme of things, it probably won't matter too much in the long run because both songs are legit and will end up getting massive airplay and lead to the ultimate multi-platinum goal for her new album Talk That Talk. Combine both tracks with her lead single,We Found Love and you've got one hell of a start to an album. You'll find too, that the best part of the track or catchiest element is undoubtedly the beat provided by Stargate. He did wonders with @REALWIZKHALIFA's singles and this one should end up being just as successful. Don't overlook @esterdean's influence on the track, presumably on the writing credits. She's penned more than a few great tracks on her own.

In taking a look at the final tracklist of Talk That Talk, there's still an @AlexDaKid track, two more Stargate produced songs and a No ID beat in the mix. In other words, if you thought the first three tracks were good, there's a whole lot more where that came from. Talk That Talk drops on iTunes on November 21st and there's no word yet on when the track below will be a single, but you can bet it will eventually get the same airplay as Run This Town. Add her release to Drake, Yelawolf, Pac Div and you've got a absolutely stacked next couple weeks of releases. Strange timing? I think not...#BlackFriday

Rihanna feat Jay-Z - Talk That Talk (prod by Stargate)

|iTunes

"Sugar, Don't Call Me When You're Lonely Again"

I'm not sure whether this was a demo or just another version circulating with the Love Suicide beat that @CHRISBROWN first did, then @TINIETEMPAH eventually put on his new album. Rather than sticking to the original lyrics of Love Suicide, @neyocompound flipped the track into his own R&B version that is just as emotionally invested, but is instead written from the perspective of a lover who is tired of being taken for granted. Regardless of who did it first or who did it better, Stargate deserves some dap for putting together such a promiscuous and well received beat.

If I were to pick, I'd put Ne-Yo's version up there with Chris Brown's original Love Suicide as far as who did it best. The silky smooth delivery and well executed hook on Lonely Again are hard to ignore. Put it this way, I was humming "Don't call me when you're lonely again" long after first listen today and that was after I had given it top billing on today's iPod playlist. Oh you don't make playlists daily for workouts, yard work, etc>? To me that's like reading yesterday news man, gotta keep up with the daily newness so I can share it with y'all.

It's been a while since I've posted some quality R&B anyways, so here's a top shelf dose...#NoChaser

Ne-Yo - Lonely Again

Who Rocked it Better Chris Brown vs Tinie Tempah - Love Suicide

Tough call on this one as @chrisbrown first demo'd this track almost exactly a year ago. I wasn't very shy about my affinity for the track as I raved about it, going as far as making outlandish predictions like it could be regarded as the duet of the year. As the year went along, the duet never surfaced and I felt pretty privileged that I had gotten so much out of a track that never saw the light of day.

Fast forward a year where the UK's hottest US import, @TINIETEMPAH used CB's blueprint demo and stepped in alongside @esterdean to deliver a noteworthy final version of the Stargate produced track Love Suicide. The song surfaced on Tinie's latest release Disc-Overy that ended up going two times platinum in the UK.

If you held a gun to my head I'd give the nod to the original. I like the duet style hook over the solo hook by Ester Dean. The beat is a lot simpler on the demo version, which allows the vocals to shine, rather than listening to Tinie compete with the slightly faster paced beat with added percussion. Both solid renditions and you can call me soft for favoring the duet, but I gotta go with the original. You be the judge, Who Rocked it Better?

Ester Dean feat Chris Brown - Love Suicide (prod by Stargate)


Tinie Tempah feat Ester Dean - Love Suicide (prod by Stargate)

"Whenever You Call Baby I Roll Up, I Roll Up, I Roll Up"

Slated to be released on iTunes February 8th, Roll Up will be the second single off Wiz Khalifa's upcoming album Rolling Papers due out March 29th. Similar to his first well timed single Black and Yellow, which has served as the rally cry for Steeler nation on their Super Bowl run, Wiz enlists the help of the Norwegian production duo Stargate on the track. If you can imagine it, Roll Up is even more laid back and melodic than the single before it as @REALWIZKHALIFA tackles the hook himself, clearly unafraid to add a little harmony.

I can promise that after a few listens you'll be anticipating and singing the "whenever you call baby I roll up" part of the hook. Can't hate on the single choice, it'll be sure to push more than a few units Soundscan style. On the real, it's been a while since I've heard a Wiz track that I didn't immediately add to my next gym playlist. Saying he's on a roll is becoming an understatement and if he's able to continue this assault on Contemporary Hip Hop, it wouldn't be out of the question for him to open up with 2-400K sales first week #Prediction. Maybe I'm a victim of the hype or dumping gasoline on the sun at this point, but that doesn't bother me a bit cause dude is making some great music lately.

Check his second single as well as the dope new Cloudkicker tee reppin' that's all too appropriate for this weekend...

Wiz Khalifa - Roll Up (prod by Stargate)

|Download

"The Square Root of 69 is 8 Somethin', Cuz I’ve Been Tryna Work it Out"

Below is the supposed 2nd single off Ri-Ri's upcoming album Loud, due out on Nov 12th. Adding a jump start verse is ya boy @drakkardnoir who does his what he always does on R&B flavored tracks...drop a swagger soaked, smooth as silk verse, setting an upbeat tone to a playfully upbeat track. Radio is gonna wrestle this one away from the grasps on the internuts soon enough, so worry none kind reader, you'll see this on the top 40 soon enough.

Gotta give a quick tip of the hat to @RIHANNA for the quality of her new album. I'm finding it hard to be critical of tracks that have leaked off of Loud because she's got the dance tracks (Only Girl in the World and Who's That Chick as well as slower, mid-tempo tracks like the one below. We'll see if her third single off the album S&M lives up to the first two, but either way a video has been shot for What's My Name, so be on the look out for that. Double dap to Stargate for orchestrating another addictive radio hit...between this and Wiz's Black and Yellow, it's been a good month for the production duo.

Give it a listen...

Rihanna feat Drake - What's My Name (prod by Stargate)
| Download

Pittsburgh STAND UP!...Wiz Khalifa - Black and Yellow

With the new behind the scenes photos of Wiz Khalifa's upcoming video for Black and Yellow dropping this week, I felt inclined to share the track. When people think of Pittsburgh, PA, it's sort of a mixed bag when it comes to sports pride since the Steelers are always good and the Pirates are always bad. Regardless of competitiveness, they share the same black and yellow colors, which @REALWIZKHALIFA uses to his advantage in the song below, uniting all this is Pittsburgh by the similar colors.

With the Steelers playing tomorrow, it's about time you check the track out if you're a fan of the team or city. Notice I didn't say if you're a Pirates fan? Yea that's because I've never met a fan of the Pirates, nobody would claim to follow such a losing franchise. #IJustLied + #ImACubsFan

Give it a listen and shouts out to the Norwegian wizards of production, Stargate who produced this one...

Wiz Khalifa - Black and Yellow (prod by Stargate)
| Download

Ryan Tedder is the Man

Find me a better all around artist/group member/demo singer/writer and producer than Ryan Tedder. Dude does it all, he's been behind countless singles that have blow up on the radio and oh yea, ya he's also the lead singer for One Republic. I like how he's got a whole album's worth of hits listed on his wiki page as sort of a footnote that is explained as "Other Songs performed by Ryan Tedder". If you haven't heard his version of the songs below, it would behoove you to scour the internet for them:

• All For You
• Back To Me
• Boy Like That
• Dance
• Day In The Life Of
• Everything
• I Will Try
• If This is Love
• Listen
• On My Way Here
• Show Me
• Strong Enough
• The Look
• Unbroken
• Gravity
• Not 2 Luv You
• Ice

I see at least 4 songs that I feel like are Billboard Top 100 Single worthy(The Look, Everything, Gravity, Not 2 Luv You), but they have yet to make it to the general populace. Maybe he's saving them as demos? Maybe they'll surface someday? Who knows, but it's getting a little absurd that he hasn't decided to launch a solo career based on those songs. I can respect how he's leading One Republic on their tour that's about to head overseas to Europe next month after finishing up their US tour by in Philly tomorrow night though.

As far as his two new tracks, it's a toss up right now which one I like better. I'm leaning toward Not 2 Luv You because as the track progresses so does the intensity on the synthesizers, blending perfectly with the head nodding beat and RT's on point vocals. It doesn't surprise me in the least that the always underrated Norwegian production team of Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen known as Stargate are behind the boards on both these demos. Peep the NY Times article putting a spotlight on the magic this duo creates without getting any publicity love for their creations. Check the first track below:

Ryan Tedder - Not 2 Luv You (prod by Stargate)
| Download

I could definitely see Rihanna doin' some serious work on this next power ballad. After hearing Ryan kill yet ANOTHER demo (Battlefield, Halo, Unbroken), I'm starting to think he's actually a terrible demo singer because he consistently sets the bar waaaay too high on his version. Sure @THEREALJORDIN and @BEYONCE were able to match his skills on the demo versions he had of Battlefield and Halo, but damn, you wanna talk about pressure, try following this dude. Definitely more of a dramatic, pull at your heart strings type of captivating ballad that is accentuated perfectly with the use of piano throughout the verses giving way to a crescendo of energy building up to the hook. At this point, I'm hoping Rihanna attempts to one up Tedder...gooood luck @RIHANNA...

Ryan Tedder - Ice (prod by Stargate) (Rihanna demo)
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"What if You Would Just Come Right Out of These Clothes, You Can Finally Feel the Wind When it Blows"

I'm finding it harder and harder to dislike anything I hear from Sean Kingston. Most of his tracks are borderline pop, sing-songy anthems, but they're catchier than those Deadliest Catch style Alaskan Crab pots. There's just something about that Jamaican accent mixed with a little autotune (that isn't too over the top, settle D.O.A. fans) and carefree, upbeat lyrics. I feel like Nicki Minaj is becoming somewhat polarizing too with her audacious outfits and somewhat in your face demeanor. I'm becoming somewhat of a fan though, she definitely adds to this track nicely with that South Jamaica Queens based accent on the track.

Looks as if this is going to eventually be a video, give the making of the video a look.

I call it feel good music, you may call it over-manufactured pop, but live a little, these tracks are harmless feel good anthems perfect for summer. For all you who care and overanalyze like ya boy, Dutty isn't anything more than a West Indies pronunciation of the word dirty. Like any "cool" phrase these days, dutty can also have a positive connotation, i.e. "those kicks are dutty" meaning fresh or hot.

In the context of this track with the bridge:

What if you would just come right out of these clothes
You can finally feel the wind when it blows
Don't be scared to be free to let go, show it off
Feel like letting go
Oh oh oh oh

I'm taking it as a description of a really cool girl who has an edge side that is fun, but fun of inhibitions. Yea, I'm a dreamer who chugs life by the glass but still claims it's half full, but I feel like this track was an anthem for the escapades I got into last weekend in Tampa. More specifically at The Venue where "Everyone is a VIP"...or at least outta-towners unafraid to dance themselves clean while getting a little damaged. #idontgetdrunkigetsodamaged

Regardless of interpretation, this hits the spot for a mid-tempo, feel good summer hit that's meant to be played on repeat...try it...oh and this goes out to those dutty gyals in the Tampa/Clearwater area...special daps &lbs to Aylissa...pretty sure we took stares all night like the elevators weren't workin', think Save The Last Dance style on the dancefloor...#goodshit

Sean Kingston feat. Nicki Minaj - Letting Go (Dutty Love) (Prod. by Stargate)
|Download

Duet of the Year? Ester Dean feat Chris Brown - Love Suicide (Prod. By Stargate)

This one has an eerily similar sound to his duet with Jordin Sparks on No Air, which was without question one of the top 3 duets in 2009. Exit Jordin, enter Ester Dean, aka a serious candidate for this year's version of Keri Hilson R&B breakout artist of the year. She's managing to get her hands on a lot of quality material lately, not just as an artist, but also as a producer. Me, I took a liking last month to her guest spot on Chris Brown's Big Things below..

Both Ester and CB's vocals mingle well on this track, with Ester doing her part on the verses before Chris comes in on the hook. Neither artist over-match each other tone wise, which is crucial in concocting an on point power ballad like the one at hand. A wise man once said that falling in love is the slowest and most inhumane way to commit suicide...and Ester seconds that notion, likening the act of breaking someone's heart seem in this instance like a deliberate act of murder against another person's emotion. High stakes analogies, great complimentary vocals and plenty of emotion = the ingredients for a successful ballad.

I'm not tryin' to gas you up by saying this will be regarded as one of the best ballads when it's all said in 2010...watch. With Chris Brown easing his way back into everyone's good graces (despite a recent blip recently where his lyrical subject matter drifted blatantly moving on from Rihanna), tracks like this will hopefully lead to him rounding back into form after an underwhelming effort with Graffiti. As usual, behind the scenes credit to the Norwegian Production duo Stargate, who continue to write and produce their way into more and more quality Pop/R&B tracks.

Proof is in the pudding and this one is gonna gain some traction on the radio...do yourself a favor and put it on repeat for a bit...

Ester Dean Ft. Chris Brown - Love Suicide (Prod. By Stargate)

Who Rocked it Better? Beyonce or Brandy - Slow Love

Real tough call on this one...two of R&B's best goin' after the same ballad. I'm guessing most will pick Beyonce just because of name recognition and popularity, but you can't discount Brandy's vocals, she's been known to drop a few notable ballads.

Beyonce - Slow Love (prod by Stargate)
Brandy - Slow Love (prod by Stargate)

GWDJ Verdict: Gotta push on this one, too hard to call...which is why I'm pretty glad they made this into a ballad. Huge fan of the ballad nonetheless, you don't hear many female duets and this one is absolutely on point. Best of both worlds in my opinion. Great track, give it a listen.

Beyonce & Brandy - Slow Love Duet (prod by Stargate) Great Duet!!