K.O.D. Concert Review...Tech N9ne and Slaughterhouse...Hip Hop Take Note

Slaughterhouse at The Silo in Reading, PA Nov 13th

Let me start this from the beginning. A couple weeks ago, I was asked by a couple friends if I was interested in going to see Tech_N9ne in concert. My first reaction was that I was interested in seeing his show, but until the day of the event was on the fence about going. I was interested because over the past decade or so he has released a lot of really out there, push-the-boundaries of Hip Hop type music with his rough-around-the-edges dark sounding tracks and choppy, in-your face fast vocal delivery.

Examples:
Tech N9ne - Welcome to the Midwest (feat Krizz Kaliko) off his 2006 album Everready

Tech N9ne - Leave Me Alone New Single off his album K.O.D.

Tech N9ne - Blown Away Off his album Sickology 101 released in 2009

Those are three of his milder tracks lyrically, which is why I posted them instead of a few of my other favorites that may not be as appropriate lyrically. I intentionally posted his track Blown Away too because it is mostly a diss record about how there aren't any good performers in Hip Hop and some of the big Hip Hop acts have a sense of entitlement because of their records' monetary success even "when their stage show is horrible" - Tech N9ne. Reagardless, those three tracks give a good enough representation of his unique sound.

In general, it's hard not to be supportive of Tech N9ne because he has truly made his own success. He's one of those artists who has always fought an uphill battle because "the industry" (record execs, the suits) didn't think the mainstream would like his music. Nine albums later (all independently released), he's more popular than ever and continues to have a very dedicated underground following. I'd suggest you school yourself on his story by reading this excellent article detailing why aside from Kanye and Jay-Z, he made the most money in Hip Hop touring in 2008.

Tech N9ne - Inspirational Rapper by Angus Batey

Despite my affinity for his music and overall story I was still torn on attending the concert since it was out in the middle of nowhere about a half hour away and I would probably have to leave straight from work to get there on time.

...that all changed when I realized I had made the biggest rookie mistake ever. I didn't even bother to check who the opening act was for Tech N9ne. So about 3 hours before the concert started, I checked it out only to find that Slaughterhouse (best rap group in Hip Hop currently) was set to open for Tech N9ne. It was one of those rare moments in life where expectations were surpassed (kind of like this) and you were left feeling like you had bought that $1 power-ball ticket, fully expected to not win, then found out that same ticket you are holding is worth a whole lot more than you had thought.

Fast forward to the concert, which a concerted effort was made to be at well before any act was supposed to hit the stage because I was NOT going to miss Slaughterhouse. When I first walked into the Silo , I felt like I had entered a Juggalo convention and felt as out of place as a white kid could feel amongst other predominantly white people. I'll admit, I went through a phase in High School where I got a kick out of some of the crazy music that ICP produced, but I could only take so much of the violent, insane lyrics and it just got old. Still, I began to have a weird "this is about to be a train wreck" feeling because Slaughterhouse and Glasses Malone especially don't cater to this type of crowd.

When Glasses Malone hit the stage, he came out blazin' to one of his characteristically West Coast funk infused beats:

I didn't know he had signed to Cash Money Records, but evidently his upcoming album to be released in February titled Beach Cruiser is going to be released under that label with production coming from none other than DJ Toomp. Excited about that, but in general I felt bad for Glasses at the concert because (as you could tell by the crowd reaction in the video above) he definitely wasn't performing to a group of people that could appreciate his style Hip Hop. I'll be lookin' for that new album in February G Malone, glad I got to meet you after you performed.

Moving on to the much anticipated Slaughterhouse, who within one group brings together a regionally diverse combination of Hip Hop (Detroit, Long Beach, Brooklyn, Jersey) and fuses it together in such a high energy, engaging and witty way that you would swear they all were cut from the same cloth. Speaking of the regional pride each one of them brings to the group, here are each one of the members of Slaughterhouse paying tribute to where they came from by doing a quick rendition of a classic Hip Hop track from their home city:

Joe Budden Naughty by Nature Jersey Tribute with Slaughterhouse
Royce da 5'9 Detroit Tribute with Eminem's The Way I Am with Slaughterhouse

Joell Ortiz Biggie Hynotized Brooklyn Tribute with Slaughterhouse

Crooked I Ain't Nothin But A G Thang West Coast Tribute with Slaughterhouse

Apologies on the sound quality, the bass was a little much for my camera to handle...clearly. Still, Slaughterhouse rocked their set playing high energy favorites like Sound Off, Woodstock, The One, and even a Joe Budden led rendition of Pump it Up. To top it off the four lyricists made themselves accessible after their set at the merch booth (hence the up close and personal group photo above), openly greeting and taking pics with any and everyone. Basically everything you'd want and more than you would expect from four of the most underrated MCs in the game. True salt of the Hip Hop earth, passionate creators of independent Hip Hop. Despite their style differing from Tech N9ne's I can definitely appreciate their unrelenting passion for the craft of Hip Hop because they refuse to change their ways to make money like so many other acts in Hip Hop now. Looking forward for more to come from Joell, Royce, Crook, and Joe...you set the bar high with the first album, I hope you all stay the course in doing your thing and remaining uncompromisingly dedicated to keeping it 100 and setting an example for Hip Hop to follow.

That leaves us with the main attraction, none other than Kansas City, MO's proudest inhabitant, Tech N9ne. Rather than trying to explain the hype and energy surrounding his entrance, I'd just press play below:

Yea he came out blazin' with his legendary machine gun flow. On a smaller scale it was sort of like Lil Wayne's entrnace to his show I went to earlier this year with the eerie lighting display. He came out looking like a killer with the white face paint and trademark 9 shirt. To go with his look, his stage show followed suit because he murdered the stage....absolutely killed it.

He performed like a seasoned vet who had been in the game for over a decade and I was impressed with how his other two sidekicks (Krizz Kaliko and Cutt Kalhoun) supported his act and seemed like they were actually a very necessary element of his stage show. For example, when he goes back and forth with Krizz on the track:

Welcome to the Midwest

I found it real surprising how well Tech was able to sample Dean Martin's song Sway and make those dramatic strings in the background of Dean's song fit with his HorrorHop feel. My favorite track he performed may have ended up being Caribou Lou, which is definitely one of the more a jump around style party track that will have you chanting the lyrics and mixing drinks like you're back in college.

Caribou Lou

From the jerky manor-isms to deep, wavering ghostly vocal tones, he set the stage for the crowd that showed up. He's like the Hip Hop King of the Misfits...a true outcast that has been able to inspire even the most death metal, goth stereotype into taking a liking to Hip Hop. Sure the lyrics can be more vulgar then Eminem and there's just as many drinking, smoking and sexual references scattered about his lyrics to scare the living daylights out of any parent currently raising a teenager...but that's his demographic. You gotta get in where you fit in and I've got a lot of respect for Tech doin' it by his lonesome, while also managing to inspire his lonesome following.

What the average person will miss and fail to understand is how his music has actually matured to a point where it sounds like he's using his clout and taking to that pedestal as the "Hip Hop King of the Misfits" to use his voice to now make more down to earth music that can appeal to the masses as well as the misfits. Yea everyone wants to be left alone and this beat could definitely get some love on the radio actually. Unfortunately, Tech stays true to his roots and throws in a little extra vulgarity just to be sure that he stays true to his roots and ensures he will never be that guy on the radio. I really think he would quit if everyone knew about him and liked him, it's just like that. Without further introduction here's his new song (can't really call it a single since there is no much thing in his life):

Leave Me Alone

"Where i'm at right now, I ain't got no tolerance for somethin stupid, or hatred, or envy.
If you bringin any one of those, How bout, Leave me alone.
They pray i'll free fall any day, Well I don't need yall anyway.
Negativity give me nay ya finna hear me say.
Just leave me right here with my henny, say my chicks an plenty pay.
Your boy Tech done blown, an still rep the home, but now I just wanna be left alone.
They wish death and my flesh and my chromosomes slept my songs, they need a little bit less Patron. - Tech N9ne (first verse)

Overall, I enjoyed the show that Slaughterhouse and Tech N9ne put on...and I feel like the my message in the title about Hip Hop taking note wasn't just a feeble attempt at a newsworthy headline, I meant it. You can tell that Tech N9ne appreciates his fan base and truly cares about the quality of his show. There's no mailing it in during his act because he really likes the niche he's created in Hip Hop and takes pride in leading that group. He's the CEO of his own Strange Music record company and would you believe that Snoop Dogg is only two weeks older than Tech N9ne? You don't see a 38 year old Snoop jumpin' around all crazy in middle of nowhere PA trying to inspire the local teenagers to keep their hands up for an hour and a half do you? No you sure as hell don't and Snoop is also not making the same $$ as Tech N9ne touring...I rest my case...do yourself a favor and find some Tech N9ne songs like Midwest Choppers, Now It's On or even It's Alive(which he says my full name at the 3:21 mark of the song...no lie listen to it). I'll leave you with DJ Chill cuttin' up some Tech N9ne favorites:

Click Here for over 10 more videos from the concert

New Drake Verse off New Song Performed Live

You'll have to fast forward a bit to find the new verse, but it's clearly marked. Here is the verse if you're curious what you're missin' out on by not watching the video:

Man I'm the one, and you should let the boys know too,
Show them fellas every single thing I showed you,
I'm here feelin' like 50 back in 02,
And erbody sayin I'm the man.....so true,
But what does it take to feel secure?
A place with wooden floors, space to put awards,
Couple of parking spots, maids to do the chorus,
The cars you always wanted, the women that you adore,
Well I got it, I got it,
I wonder if I'd be happy without it,
I doubt it,
I try not to really think about it,
I made it, but I'm still playin' like I'm bein' scouted...til I'm outed,
Gametime b****, I know you're proud of us,
King James ish watch me throw the powder up,
This OG got my whole suite clouded up,
And I betcha I'll be outta time fore I'm outta luck
They ain't rootin for me,
They ain't clappin for me,
I'm always sayin' can't somebody just be happy for me
I really hate to tell you I told you so, so I bite my tongue...but you know you know"
-Drake

Fierce...that's about all the adjective needed to describe that verse.

"Salute to All the Veterans and Girl Your Love is Like a Nuclear Weapon..." Sean Kingston Concert Review

Sean Kingston live at Crock Rock

So the true highlight of last weekend was this:

...but before I could get to watching the Buckeyes dismantle the Nittany Lions in person, I took a trip up the block to see Kisean Anderson (you knew that was Sean Kingston's real name right) do his thing in concert.

Going into the concert I had very reasonable expectations for the concert...yea he's got some songs I like, but his music and everything that goes into his songs didn't really strike me as something you'd necessarily "look forward to in concert." And as a result, I had a good time. He played most of the songs I wanted to hear (but he did leave out Wrap You Around Me, which is currently my favorite off his album Tomorrow) like Me Love and Fire Burning to go along with:

I'm at War feat Lil Wayne....


...the timeless Beautiful Girls


and of course his new heat rock and personal favorite
Face Drop

All in all a pretty small crowd and fairly lackluster when it came to bringing the energy in supporting the artist, which Sean could definitely tell (since he went through the motions, which is mostly what we deserved as an audience). Still I can't complain, I had low expectations and a relatively fun time. I do wish he could have conjured up maybe just one encore song, but again, it's not like we were chanting his name begging for one. It was sorta like an amicable break up at the end of the night where we had fun but both sides were better off just turning around and continuing their lives without one another...you got me?



Either way I wanna extend a Happy Veterans Day out to all. I myself have plenty of friends and family who have held down the country through their tireless work in the armed forces. I would have been remiss if I hadn't given them a Lil Weezy style shout out in the title (which by the way wasn't meant to be belittle our Veterans' efforts in any way with meaningless rap lyrics). Just seemed fitting and convenient that Sean chose to play Weezy's verse in I'm At War in an attempt to personify the struggles of love...but seriously there are a lot of people really at war and they deserve the love and respect beyond what little words I can offer to support their effort.

Like Wings....Jason Derulo - She Flys Me Away

Here's some more new J-Derulo produced again, by J.R. Rotem, aka the wingman to Jason's new-found success. Can't hate though, Mr. Whatcha Say deserves it because he's been chillin' out on the mainstream success horizon for more than a few hot minutes, mostly writing huge hits like the new IYAZ - Replay song (video below)


Anyways, here's the new uptempo ballad where Jason again reminds us how good of a writer he is...oh yea then there's the obvious vocal talent too, love the acapella ending. Check it out...

Jason Derulo - She Flys Me Away (prod by JR Rotem) Hoooottt!!!

Jay-Z Performs Sunday Bloody Sunday With U2

Wow...I would be doing everyone on earth a disservice by not pointing out this live collabo of epic proportions. The most notable was Bono ripping off a 10 sec quasi-freestyle at the 4:30 mark as if summoning the Hip Hop energy that Jay-Z was giving off.

Pretty cool that Jigga could infuse a shot of Hip Hop into such the revolutionary, classic song that is Sunday Bloody Sunday.

Who Rocked it Better?..."Baby You're All That I Want, When You're Lying Here in My Arms..." new Pitbull - Pearly Gates

Bryan Adams

Pitbull DJ Sammy

Interesting comparison of songs here, all having the same sample, but from three different genres (contemporary rock, techno, hip hop), all made at least 7 years apart (1984, 2002, 2009). Over the years the "Baby you're all that I want, when you're lying here in my arms..." has become a timeless lyrical sample garnering instant pop culture recognition mostly because the original track done by Bryan Adams was such a pop/rock success.

I think I gained more of an appreciation for the original track when I first heard DJ Sammy and Yanou's techno version. Personally I would put it in the top 10 contemporary techno songs of all time and adamantly believe they did the original Bryan Adams sample justice, taking it to another level popularity wise by expanding the likability to another demographic (trance/house/techno).

Fast forward to the present, where the unstoppably dynamic duo of Jim Jonsin (producer) and Pitbull (artist) are now trying to migrate the sample to Hip Hop. The version I'm posting seems like an unfinished version and it remains to be seen whether Pitbull will be able to get the sample cleared, but nonetheless, it's a solid effort and is destined for radio/club success if he decides to make it a single.

Listen and decide for yourself:

Bryan Adams - Heaven Classic from 1984!!


DJ Sammy & Yanou - Heaven Classic Techno!!


Pitbull - Pearly Gates (prod by Jim Jonsin) new Hip Hop!!!

GWDJ Verdict: If I were forced to pick a favorite, I would go with DJ Sammy's version with Bryan Adams's original,classic version as my second choice. Ranking Pitbull's version 3rd shouldn't at all discount how great of a track it is, I think his version is also extremely club friendly and just as addictive as the previous two versions. I had to give the nod to DJ Sammy because of how iconic his version turned out.

Here's your chance to vote, Who Do You Think Rocked it Better?

The Streets are Hungry....B.O.B. - I Feed These Streets

Just as I was about to anoint Wale as the second best new comer of the 2009 Freshman Hip Hop Class (behind Kid Cudi), B.O.B. sends a shot over the bow with this track titled I Feed These Streets.

The track is loaded with such a backwoodsy southern swagger, it's addicting. People are starting recognize that there hasn't been someone who has been able to pull off the same southern drawl and coherent lyrics since T.I. Anecdote 1:

"Therefore I handle flows
With that Atlanta soul
Even my gramma known that I got that antidote
I'm so exquisite with these lyrics I immaculately spit it
Even though I'm from the South I got that grammar tho'

Make no mistake, this does go hard in the deck, don't let the bluesy chorus throw you off. It's going to take a monster effort to surpass Cudi's Man on the Moon album as the best effort of 2009 class, but I do believe B.O.B. has the right energy mixed with lyrics to challenge him. I'll elaborate on my thoughts about Wale in my upcoming album review of Attention Deficit, but for now let's let Bobby Ray enjoy the limelight with this above average effort that momentarily monopolized my eardrums and put the rest of the Hip Hop world on the back burner this week.

B.O.B. - I Feed These Streets Hooottttt!!!

"And I'll Take Probation. I Don't Want That T.I. and Vick Vacation...."

You may not have heard, but Lil Weezy just Plaxico'd himself into a 1 year prison sentence this past week for a NY gun charge:

"Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to felony gun possession in a Manhattan courtroom on Thursday (October 22) stemming from a July 2007 arrest following his first headlining concert in New York. The rapper will be sentenced to one year in prison as a part of his plea deal and must also give up his passport. Wayne quietly told the judge yes when asked if he understood the terms of the plea he was making."
-MTV News

Looks like Weezy got away with a slightly less punishment than Plax, but still:

"Wayne will be sentenced in February 2010 and is expected to serve eight to 10 months, assuming good behavior. He must also appear in court in December for a parole update."
-MTV News

Man, just when he was really starting to reel in the glory for the Carter III, he's now going upstate for the greater part of a year. Needless to say, NY gun laws are OFFICIALLY no joke after this sentence.

Even though I'm not particularly looking forward to it, we'll at least get to see a new side of Lil Wayne before he goes to prison when he releases his debut "rock" album titled Rebirth.

When asked to comment on the CEO of Young Money heading to do his fair time, Drake said:

“I’ll just do what I can to keep the whole Young Money/Cash Money team going, and I just want to play my part as a team member and keep the brand strong until the boss gets home.”
-The Rap Up

All in all I don't think he got too bad of a deal considering he was originally supposed to get a 15 year stint and was able to cop a plea deal for a year. Let's just hope before he goes away, he can get on a years worth of cameo's and plan a re-release of his album...wait someone else already did that...yea Clifford, you're "The King" at that (pardon the pun). Too bad Tupac was the first to pull off the same career sustaining move while in prison before both T.I. and Lil Wayne.

Timbo is Onto Something With These Beats....

It goes without saying that Timbaland is one of the most influential producers of the past twenty years. He's helped spark the careers of so many artists like Justin Timberlake, Ryan Tedder (One Republic), Bubba Sparxxx, Missy Elliot, Keri Hilson, Aaliyah...the list goes on. He's continually produced radio and club anthems, while many of his slower jams you probably continue to sleep on. Oh yea, don't forget his recent dabbling into rock/contemporary with this underrated hit, as well as this slightly overplayed classic.

As I've started to preview some of his tracks from Shock Value 2 (which has been pushed back to December 8th) I've noticed him continuing to use a new style that I really like and deserves attention.

The two most noticeable examples are from Timbo's song with Justin Timberlake that you may have forgotten about, Lovestoned and a song on his upcoming album titled Ease off the Liquor.

The first song, Lovestoned, starts off with an upbeat, mid-tempo, booty shakin' vibe that coerces your hips to move...I'm serious, listen to it standing up, you're powerless. But as the song fades toward the 5 min mark, the tempo slows considerably into a much softer, melodic, strings (violin/guitar riff) dominated backdrop that provides Justin a canvas for his strikingly simple, but often overlooked lullably/interlude. In my opinion, the song becomes interesting stylistically when Timbo is able to seamlessly transition a track from one beat to another in the same song...almost providing a lyrical cause and effect between the two personalities of the song/interlude. Despite the song being 7 minutes long, you feel like you've just listened to two different songs, but in reality, you've just taken in a longer "story" than you're accustomed to hearing from a "usual" track.

Give it a listen since you haven't heard it for a while:

Justin Timberlake - Lovestoned/I Think That She Knows (Interlude) One of Justin's Best!!!

Lovestoned has always been one of my favorite Justin tracks, mostly because there's literally no ice, it's blended together so well. Now fast forward to today, where I've spotted another track that seemingly continues on forever because of the Timbo again, adding/taking away an element of the beat to create a whole different vibe to a track. This time he manages to coin another booty shakin' anthem dominated by a rolling bassline and in your face, characteristically loud percussion, to go with a dash of crazy synthesizer. The song evolves into a call/response theme as he bounces back and forth with SoShy (pictured below):

YEA, I agree, she's good looking. Anyways, back to the lecture at hand...toward the 4 minute mark, the bassline evaporates into what becomes a salsa dancers dream of beat featuring trumpets and what appears to be a Mariachi inspired, guitar riff. Pretty cool in my opinion, two styles mixed in one, all within a 6 minute span, combining two different (albeit both uptempo) vibes. Check it out, off Shock Value 2:

Timbaland feat SoShy - Ease Off the Liquor (prod by Timbaland) Hooottt New Timbo!!

Think about it, what other songs can you think of are able to mesh together or seamlessly continue two tracks that are related lyrically into one...as if providing a second chapter to the same story, but remaining uncompromising to the length of the song?

Ok other than Stairway to Heaven, I'll give you that one...and yes that is partially why I like that Timbaland is managing to bring that style, which was created over 30 years ago, to Hip Hop.

Wait did I just compare Timbaland to Led Zepplin? Yes, it was intentional...

And since Justin and Timbo were on the menu for this post, please don't forget your Carryout....

Timbaland feat Justin Timberlake - Carryout (prod by Timbaland) New Off Shock Value 2 Hooott!!!

Drake and Jay-Z Perform Successful live in Toronto

Just came across the video from Jay-Z's Halloween Concert in Toronto, home of none other than the growing legend of Aubrey Drake Graham. This marks his first performance since re-injuring his ACL in front of my very eyes at his concert in Camden, NJ.

You'll notice, he didn't do any jumping around when he performed Successful and you gotta admit, it's pretty cool to see both Hov and Drizzy on the same stage. Hopefully there is a lot more of this to come as I eagerly count down the days til the highly anticipated Thank Me Later, which is slated for a Valentines Day 2010 release...

Finally a 50 Cent Track Worth Listening to....

Off 50's upcoming album, Before I Self Destruct. If you look at the tracklist of his new album, there's definitely a on paper to be excited about with a track by Timbo, three by Dre, one by Storch, as well as a Primo cut.

Unfortunately, 50 has set the bar a little too high for himself in saying:

“I'm excited. The new album Before I Self Destruct is out November 23rd, I had a longer period of time to make this album, so I think this is the one fans could say is better than Get Rich Or Die Trying.”

Needless to say, I'm not giving him a snowball's chance in hell at selling over 13 million copies. But, take it for what it's worth, the track is well put together with a couple hot verses...hopefully Em keeps this up so that Relapse 2 won't be as big of a flop as Relapse. Dre absolutely carried the weight on this track with the dramatic strings throughout the song. Check it out:

50 Cent feat Eminem - Psycho (prod by Dr. Dre) Hoooottt!!!!!

New Ne-Yo - Never Knew I Needed

"You were the best thing I never knew I needed....

Ne-Yo - Never Knew I Needed Hooot New R&B!!!!

Emotionally Charged New Singles...Chris Brown and Rihanna

By now we all known how it went down between Chris and Rihanna that fateful night where they went from America's hottest young couple, to another sad example of a high profile domestic violence case.

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:

Rihanna - Russian Roulette First Single Off Rated R!!!

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:

Chris Brown - Crawl Second Single off Graffiti!!

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.

Chris Brown - So Cold (prod by Polow Da Don) Great Ballad!!!

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...

Who Rocked it Better? B.O.B. or Wale...The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony Sample

The Verve

B.O.B. Wale/Colin Munroe

DJ Toomp

Ah yes one of the more notable songs of the late 1990s. In fact, I bet you didn't know it was ranked as the 382nd Best Song of All time by Rolling Stone Magazine. Pretty lofty ranking in my opinion, but personally my fondest memory of this song came at the end of the film Cruel Intentions:

What a great movie, big fan of both Sarah Michelle and Reese, but that's not what this post is about...

What's important here is that an extremely underrated producer (DJ Toomp) did a great job at taking the sample and tweaking it ever so slightly in an attempt to make it sound "Hip Hop." First of all if you're unfamiliar with DJ Toomp, here are a few of his most notable productions: What You Know About That - T.I., Can't Tell Me Nothing - Kanye West (bonus: video feat Zack Galifianakis)...funny), Good Life - Kanye West, I Luv It - Young Jeezy and most notably my favorite T.I. song Dope Boyz. As you can tell his sound is dependent on a heavy bassline and attention-grabbing synth/percussion that usually results in a LOUD, not-to-be-messed with sound.

Add to Toomp's beat two top 10 members of the Hip Hop Freshman Class of 2009 and you've got yourself a decent battle for best song. Give them both a listen...

The Original Song:

The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony Classsssic!!!!

The new tracks sampled by DJ Toomp:

Wale feat Colin Munroe - Bittersweet Life (prod by DJ Toomp) Hottttt New Single!!!!

Born Wit It feat B.O.B. - Stack Ur Paper Up (prod by DJ Toomp) New B.O.B.!!!!

GWDJ Verdict: While neither will surpass the massive radio play the original song by the Verve got, I do believe Wale's version of the track will become a notable single and get his and Colin Munroe's name out to pop culture. I really liked B.O.B.'s verse on his version of the track, but Wale's verses are very well put together and in general I believe Wale > B.O.B., but both are rising stars that are soon to be household names. Wale/Colin/Toomp did the sample justice and I personally can't press next every time the song comes across the iPod.

Top R&B Slow Jam of October: One Call - Crash (prod by Darkchild)

Who in the world is One Call you ask? Well if you went with new boyband, you're right and even better they're formed with...yep you guessed it, ex members of boybands. I know, you can't even make something that crazy up right?...haha.

The members of the group include two former members of the new version of Menudo group (Chris Moy and José Bordonada Collazo) along with former member of NLT, Justin Thorne, and non-boyband affiliated newcomer Anthony Gamlieli.

Anyways, this track is a picturesque lullaby that has Darkchild's hand prints allll over it. I'd argue you could have plugged in just about any R&B act here and the song would have been great, but I also don't want to take away from the powerful vocals provided by One Call. The do an excellent job of painting a picture of looking out for that girl that you know has lost perspective and just needs to take a deep breath, step back and relax, knowing that you're there for them and they're not alone in whatever they are going through. Guys you know what I'm talkin' bout, that feeling you get when you see a girl close to you get really overwhelmed by something in their life...almost to a point where you feel like saying, "yo slow down B, there's no good reason to stress, it'll all eventually work out, life's too short to waste it worryin' about what could happen especially when you'll always have me in your corner." Unfortunately that message oftentimes falls on deaf ears and a some continue to fear they're gonna crash and aren't willing to let you take a hold of the wheel because they don't want you to get hurt and be a part of collateral damage as a result of the crash ...

...but that's neither here nor there, either way don't sleep on this one, One Call does the slow jam justice by giving the track the emotional depth it needs to hit home with the audience.

Give it a listen, it's one of Darkchild's better slow jam, piano ballads...

One Call - Crash (prod by Darkchild) Great Slow Jam!!!

Jason Derulo - Whatcha Say (Acoustic Version)

Now that everyone is fully aware of Jason Derulo's potential and have done their absolute best to ware out his hit Whatcha Say on the radio, as it currently sits at the #4 single on Billboard, just ahead of Run This Town by Jay-Z (to give a little perspective).

Anyways just in case you were sick of the original version and crave the organic, piano/acoustic feel of songs because it strips away the production and shows true talent, here's J Derulo's spirited "candlelight" version of Whatcha Say. Although JR Rotem did much of the legwork in producing a beat that is cocaine to radio waves, I would argue this version does more for his credibility because he gets to show off his vocals more. I also really enjoy the fact that they found a way to keep the sample in the acoustic version, so that it maintains that high quality feel, but is different enough that you feel like you're getting something different and in some ways better.

Check it out...

Jason Derulo - Whatcha Say (Acoustic Version) Better Than the Radio Version!!!

New Timbaland: Shock Value 2...COMING SOON!

With Timbaland's Shock Value 2 set to be released on November 23rd, there is a lot of good music to be excited about in the near future. We have a Fray, Daughtry, Keri Hilson and Chris Brown, One Repblic and most notably a Drake collabo to look forward to on the album.

We've been mostly teased with snippets, but now there are two really quality tracks floating around that deserve more than a few listens. The first being the first single, titled Morning After Tomorrow that showcases a disgustingly well put together beat by Timbo and the up and coming, sexy French artist SoShy (yea I know, heads up Keri Hilson). Give it a listen and please mind the beat ride out at the end...ridiculous what Timbo can do with that Beaterator...

Timbaland feat SoShy - Morning After Tomorrow (prod by Timbaland) First Single off Shock Value 2!!!

The second track has been out for a while now, but recently a higher quality version found its way on the net, so do yourself a favor and pay some homage to Timbo's creativity with this rolling, booty shakin, percussive massacre...with a lil Teddy Pain on the top...

Timbaland feat T-Pain & Missy Elliot - Talk that Shit (prod by Timabaland) Crrrazzzy Beat!!!

The track I'm most excited about (for obvious reasons) is the collabo with Drizzy Drake titled Say Something. Drake is definitely on more of an R&B tip with this track and it's weird hearing him on an attention grabbing beat. I'm not sure if I like it as much honestly, it's kinda like mixing peanut butter and salmon...great separately, but together...man I dunno. Jury is still out on this one, I'm not writing it off yet and I'll probably end up liking it, but for now, take the 2 min snippet for what it's worth....

Timbaland feat Drake - Say Something (prod by Timbaland) Collabo of the Month!!!

And just cause I'm feelin' generous, give Timbo's collabo with Shakira and Lil Wayne a listen. This track was initially slated for Shock Value 2, but now it's supposed to be Shakira's second US single despite it being conspicuously missing from her album?? Guess that was probably planned to get people to buy the Deluxe Edition? Anyways give it a listen...

Shakira feat Lil Wayne & Timbaland - Give It Up To Me (prod by Timbaland) Hootttt R&B!!!

Classic Drake....Say U Will Freestyle in Concert

What made me most upset when I witnessed Drizzy tear his knee up on stage was that I was not going to get a chance to see him craft a "Philly" version of his Say U Will Freestyle that eminently fades into one of my favorite and most introspective tracks of him, Say What's Real.

Anyways here are three different renditions of said Freestyle. It's a shame that the whole video of his Homecoming concert in Toronto is nowhere to be found anymore on the internet because I will gladly admit spending 45 minutes of my time watching it in it's entirety.

Say U Will Freestyle in Toronto at his Homecoming Concert

Say U Will Freestyle in New Haven, Connecticut

Say U Will Freestyle live in Chicago

October Remixes: Imogen Heap, Kid Cudi, David Guetta, Jay Sean feat Lil Wayne

Lots of good remixes came to my attention this month...here are a few:

Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek (RAS Remix) Hot!!!

David Guetta Ft. Akon, Lil Jon & Francisco - Sexy Bitch (Hotfingaz Remix) Hott!!!
Kid Cuid - Day n Nite (Crookers Remix) Hottt!!!

Jay Sean feat Lil Wayne - Down (Remix) Remix of the Month!!

Entourage Season 6...Different, But Better Than Expected

First of all if you haven't watched Entourage, you need to. At least give it a chance and please don't use the excuse that you don't have HBO because as we all know, you can watch anything online for free these days.

As far as Season 6 is concerned, it was definitely not what I was expecting. I envisioned another Vinny Chase + Ari Gold driven Season that would be dominated by Vinny's struggle or rise again to the top of the movie industry. That wasn't even close to the main theme this season as the writers decided to invest heavily in the supporting characters and somewhat elevate them to "star" status, in some ways putting them on Vinny's level.

It starts off with Turtle, whom before Season 6 was on the bottom of the totem pole when it came to being more than an auxiliary member of the Entourage crew, and we didn't really know more about him other than he could drive Vinny around and he hustled to make ends meet. After a season dominated by his dream come true relationship with Jamie Lynn and his out of nowhere motivation to go back to school at UCLA, he was abruptly left with his heart on his lap by Jamie at the end of Season 6. I look forward to Season 7 and seeing where Turtle goes with his college journey and seeing if he stays in touch with Jamie. Despite Turtle being heart broken on TV, he's still he's still managing to out kick his coverage in real life,as he has been dating Jamie Lynn Siegler for almost a year now. Go Turtle!

...which brings us to our next Season 6 pimp/relationship car wreck Eric Murphy. For me he stole the show this season and for the most part was the main character. So many episodes were spent detailing his move from his own Management company to Murray Berenson's company and his roller coaster dating live involving Sloan and Ashley. Midway through the season I asked you all whom E would end up with and 58% of you accurately chose that he would eventually end up with Sloan.

To be completely honest, I really liked E with Ashley because I had always though he was over-extending himself with Sloan and they had never really been on the same page the way E and Ashley seemed to be. Too bad, like so many relationships, trust became an issue and it ended violently with E breaking it off with Ashley. Needless to say, the finale was epic with E's proposal just when you thought there was no chance in hell they would ever work out, which provided a feel good ending to a great Season. We'll see how engaged life turns out in Season 7, but I anticipate E's role in Season 7 being more about his career life than chasing after women...that is unless he starts getting a bored with Sloan and adding gas to that spark he has with his new secretary. Now 87% of you thought Sloan was clearly hands down sexier than Ashley, which I reluctantly agree with...but the plot thickened at the end of Season 6 with Kate Mara, or Brittany as she is known on the show, joining the show. Her influence could make his new engagement to Sloan a little more interesting because she is lil red-headed dime piece in my humble opinion.

Exhibit 1:

Let's just hope she manages to be less psycho than Ashley so that it will be an interesting Season 7.

Now I couldn't go through a Season 6 review without mentioning Johnny Drama. He has always been good for the one liners throughout the first 5 seasons, but this season he seemed to actually make something of himself when he ended up with a holding deal after being turned down for his Melrose Place gig. It seems like Season 6 all Drama really did was play the skeptical friend who tried standing up for every single crew member of Entourage. He stood up for Vinny with the stalker, stood up for Turtle when he thought Jamie was getting hit on and continued to constantly badger E about his Sloan/Ashley dilemma. I hope he continues to get more lines in Season 7.

I also really liked the whole Ari and Lloyd subplot. As usual, Ari had the best lines of Season 6, here is a 5 minute clip of Ari's best Season 6 lines:

I can't wait for his conquest to take over the world in Season 7 since he just took over Terrance McQueick's agency. I also gotta give Perrey Reeves (Ari's wife) some credit, she plays her character well, putting up with all of Ari's crap and still managing to reel him back to real life and keep his ego in check on an episode by episode basis.

All in all Season 6 was a very pleasant surprise and solidified my belief that Entourage is the best show on TV right now hands down.

Last thing, for those of you who missed the end of the credit tirade that Matt Damon went on at the end of Season 6, go ahead and check it out, it's hilarious. You won't get it unless you watched the episode, but its still funny and great acting.

Side Note: Interesting rumor that Vinny chase is hooking up with Ari's wife in real life.

Concert Review: Daps and Lbs. to Asher Roth

You ever go into a show thinking "ya know what this concert has some potential to be good"...then you start thinking of the potential things that could make the concert noteworthy. Let's list the possible ingredients for a tasty show:

1. They gotta play your favorite cuts...at least a couple, to add to likability and make you feel like you got what you were paying for.

2. The venue has to be fitting for the concert...i.e. acoustic artists, sometimes better in a more intimate setting...and Hip Hop concerts, generally overrated for big venues.

3. The biggest and most underrated aspect of the concert is the crowd. Are they actually fans of the artist? Is it going to be overly crowded? Will it be hard to get around to get drinks or go to the bathroom?

3.5 The energy of the performer(s) is a big aspect too ...and I listed it as 3.5 because a lot of the time the performer feeds off the energy of the crowd and whether or not they are into the show. Don't you hate it when you know the artist just isn't into though? I've been to a few concerts where it has seemed like the artist mailed it in and there really is nothing worse than that.

4.Timing. When I say timing I mean a couple things. First, does the main act come on at a predictable time? (we've all showed up too late and missed part of the show or have been left waiting til 1 AM waiting for the main act to make an appearance).
Is the act waaay too short? (leaving you wanting more and feeling like you didn't get your money's worth). Is this at the beginning or end of the tour? (we've all seen the first act of a tour and said man that show is going to be a lot better towards the end of the tour).

5.Intangibles. This can be anything from the warm up act that you haven't even heard of that ends up stealing the show to a hometown show for an artist or you had such great seats that you felt so big time it didn't matter if you expected Jay-Z and got Soulja Boy cause you were right there practically on the stage.

I needed to preface my review of Asher Paul Roth's concert at Crocodile Rock on October 9th with those ingredients because I was lucky enough to be in attendance at easily one of the top 10 best concerts I have ever seen. You may ask, well that doesn't say much who all have you seen? To list a few, Lenny Kravitz, Black Crows, Citizen Cope, John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, Lil Wayne, Puddle of Mudd, Trapt, O.A.R., Marc Broussard, Counting Crows, Wyclef, De La Soul, Black Eyed Peas, Lupe Fiasco, The Roots, Freeway, Young Jeezy, 311, Howie Day, Gavin Degraw, Fall Out Boy, Will Hoge to name a few...

Why was it so good you may ask? Mostly because it was a hometown crowd (Ash is from Bucks County, literally less than 45 mins south of the venue), a small, relatively intimate, non-crowded venue filled with fans that were very familiar to his music.

The closest comparison I can give you as far as venue and crowd is concerned is the final battle from 8 mile. And that is not because it's convenient to compare him to Eminem, that's definitely not what I'm trying to do, it merely provides the canvas I'm trying to paint here with everyone following Asher's every command throwin' their hands in the air from left to right as he killed all our favorite cuts from the start with his best tracks like Lark on my Go Kart to Roth Boys , to Be By Myself, to my personal favorite Sour Patch Kids even to his verse from his newest single with Keri Hilson titled She Don't Wanna Man.

Track after track he stole the audience's attention, refusing to give it back til he was done makin' sure everyone was havin' a good time. He even took us on a lil journey through PA to his younger days of Blunt Crusin, which truth be told wasn't even close to one of my favorite cuts from Asleep in the Bread Aisle, but that quickly changed after hearing his rendition of the track.

Yea it helped that I was about 10 feet away from him with an unimpeded view with plenty of easy access to relatively cheap ($4 at a concert isn't bad these days) drinks, but I could have been wedged in a crowd of people and still enjoyed the show, which ended (of course) with him playing I Love College.

We all thought it was the end of the show until he blessed us with the fresstyle that helped him get noticed enough to end up blessing us with a classic mixtape (Greenhouse Effect) shortly after. If you're not sure what freestyle I'm talking about then shame on you, do yourself a favor and give his A Millie freestyle a listen here.

All in all it was the perfect storm for a great concert. I got to hear most of my favorite cuts from Asher (although I would have appreciated hearing Fallin' and maybe even his verse from Change Gon' Come, but that's a little picky), I had a great seat in a fitting venue where the crowd and energy was 100% what Hip Hop should embody - nothin' but positive energy with people gettin' hype enjoying great music.

A+ Ash, keep doin' your thang man, you've earned my respect and I look forward to you furthering your stance as one of the true up and coming emcees in the game.

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!!

Windows 7 is Here

Occasionally I like to chime in on tech related items and with Windows 7 now being released for retail use on October 22, I thought I'd donate my two pennies.

First of all I am fully aware of the skepticism that comes with another release of a Windows operating system. I for one was guilty of riding the XP bandwagon for years, mostly surpassing the release of Windows Vista. Like many other people, I wasn't in a rush to warm up to the changes that Vista promised to bring, especially when the changes had a fairly negligible impact on my personal computer experience.

With this new release of an operating system, Microsoft not only has to deal with users questioning why Windows 7 (which is very similar, both in build and look to Vista) is going to be that much better than Vista (which was less popular than XP to begin with), they also have to deal with a much larger demographic of users who have abandoned Microsoft altogether for Mac's operating System Leopard or the newly released Snow Leopard. Mac has continued to stay ahead of the curve as far as security and susceptibility to viruses is concerned, which is why I don't blame the average user for switching to Mac.

(*As an aside I dislike dealing with Macs on a daily basis because since they are scarce in an business office setting and as a result don't usually play well with corporate networking and other PCs. For the average user, though, Macs are great and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend buying one).

Here's the thing though...after I finally gave Windows Vista Ultimate a chance when I installed it on a PC that could handle Vista's specs with a 2.67 GHz dual core processor with 4 GB worth of RAM, it ended up being a really good decision. I am now a fan on Vista because as long as you have the right hardware backing it up, it can be a really solid operating system.

...which brings me to what I'm posting about, Windows 7. If you are a student or at least have a .edu email address, there is no reason why you shouldn't take advantage of Microsoft offering you Windows 7 for only $29.99. If you're interested, feel free and go use your .edu address to go and cop it for that low $29.99 price. The offer is good until January 3rd, 2010, so you've got a few more months to think about.

I can personally say, if you have at least 2 GB worth of RAM under the hood, you will not regret installing Windows 7. I was one of those nerds who downloaded a release candidate of Windows 7 last year and used Windows Virtual PC to test drive it in both 32 bit and 64 bit. I have gradually used it more and more and I think it deserves some more love because as long as you can keep an open mind and get away from that crutch that is Windows XP, you will end up liking Windows 7.

And if you're not sold on the whole $30 for an operating system that will cost regular consumers $199 then go here and download a free Windows 7 90 day trial, license key and all.

And while you're at it, use that .edu address to get a copy of Office 2007 for only $60.