Are You Ready for Stafford Brothers B-town?

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Baby, Cash Money's CEO, signed an electronic act. In a world where you evolve or get passed up, it's looking like a good business decision so far. In my eyes, Stafford Brothers debut single Hello featuring Lil Wayne and Christina Milian officially put them on he map and since then I've been F5-ing the internet waiting for new tracks.

It just so happens a track landed in the Great White mailbox today in the form of Are You Ready. If you're impatient, give it a minute to hit it's stride, you won't be let down. It has a loud, club rocking progressive house feel to it with an extremely repeatable "Are you ready sample. Oh and don't sleep on that raging guitar riff around the 2:40 mark. I enjoy the fact that the build ups throughout the track have different personalities.

On a semi-related note, it just so happens the Stafford Brothers are holding down The Dunkirk this Thursday night. If you're curious what that experience might be like, feel free and check out their latest vlog from Indianapolis detailing their latest tour stops...

The only real question is, Btown...are you ready? #AussieInvasion

Stafford Brothers - Are You Ready

"I Had Benzes Before You Had Braces"

"Cake, cake, cake, cake, cake, cake,

500 million I got a pound cake"

Not surprisingly, Nothing Was the Same has started to trickle onto the net as it's September 24th release nears. And you better believe the leakers, they go for Jaws, they don't go for any ordinary Great White. They went straight for it with the red sharpie circled track on the album featuring Jiggaman titled Pound Cake.

I'll keep it real simple by saying if you enjoyed Drake and Jay Z's previous collaboration Light Up, then you'll like their new one. I can't say I like it as much as Light Up on first listen, but it's got enough complex carbs in the verses to keep my attention. In other words, after a few more listens, I'll probably have a greater appreciation for it because a cursory listen to the verses just doesn't do it justice. Add to that the intro is kinda cool and the scratched up remixed C.R.E.A.M. sample that Jigga keeps stuttering will get peoples' attention. All I gotta say is pick your favorite quotable...

Mine -->"My eyes bloodshot but my jet don't lag..."

Not sure what to do with Paris Morton Music Part II, though. I loved the first, but the second is more of an afterthought interlude. Oh well, next track, shout out to Boi-1da on the beat to Pound Cake. 9 days til it drops, get excited...#PoundCake

Drake feat Jay Z - Pound Cake (prod by Boi-1da, Jordan Evans & Matthew Burnett)/Paris Morton Music 2

Lorde Gets the Laserdisk Treatment

Now that Lorde's debut single has gotten the traction it deserves on top 40 radio, it's about time EDM starting twisting the track to their gain. Tip of the cap to Laserdisk for getting the ball rolling in the right right more synth driven direction. When I say right direction, it's almost like an 80s themed retro style or what folks might call Indie nowadays. Either way, it goes down so smooth in a way that gives it a reinvented sound. Big like button to this guy...#Laserdisk

Lorde - Royals (Laserdisk Remix)

Videos of the Week September 13th

While everyone was raving over the new Eminem Berzerk video featuring the legendary Rick Rubin (no he's not one of the Robertsons on Duck Dynasty, even though he looks like it), I'm steady getting excited about Drake's new album after his last two singles went back to his unique mix of singing and rapping. If you're not as excited about Drake, though, you'll be hard pressed to not smile when you watch 4 year old producer KJ. My comment to my friend Travis who shared it with me was, "Little man is like a mini-araabmuzik. Get the kid an MPC!" The icing on the cake for me this week was the Timberlake and Fallon late night skit showing the Evolution of Endzone Dancing. Anytime those two get on stage together, it's more than worth your time watching...#ThankYouNoteFriday
Eminem - Berzerk (Video)

Drake - Nothing Was the Same (Album Trailer)

Justin Timberlake & Jimmy Fallon - The Evolution of Endzone Dancing

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - White Walls (Video)

KJ the 4 Year Old Producer
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"Yeah, This Ish Belong to Nobody, It's Yours"

When you've established a specific sound as an artist that people like, you set the bar high for yourself. That being said, I'm elated that Drake let loose a single with his home squeeze 40. In my eyes Noah Shebib is just as responsible for his meteoric rise, producing a smooth piano instrumental for Drake to go in on.

I wouldn't call it one of my favorite Drake tracks, but I really like it because Wu Tang Forever leans on his uncanny ability to switch gears between R&B and Hip Hop at the drop of a beat. His flow is methodical, mixing tempos until the 1:34 mark where he channels his inner Shaolin diction. It's a different angle for a Drake single, but a good one in my eyes. I'm betting the critics will have a field day with the song title because it is named after one of Wu-Tang's best albums, but it's one of his quasi love songs. We'll see how this fits into the bigger puzzle of Nothing Was the Same when it drops in a little less than two weeks...#WuTangForever

Drake - Wu-Tang Forever (prod by 40)

Bassnectar Will Take You Down

Who's in the mood for some in your face, flossy electronic music? Good! That's what hump day should be about, a little in your face bass-filled trap music to get you into the latter part of the week. Thanks to Bassnectar, we all received a wake up call today that only a Redbull addict would appreciate.

Normally known for dubstep, Bassnec ventured into the land of trap on his new single Take You Down. The best part about it, he managed to swirl in a screwed and chopped sample into the madness. It's a fun composition of electronic personality that has more of an orchestrated feel to it than chaotic. No idea what makes this particular version of the track a "special edit", but whatever the case, I'll take this version. Take this one to the dome, I'll catch ya on the flip side of the week...#HumpDay

Bassnectar - Take You Down (Special Edit)

"I'm Fire Gasoline, Come Pour Yourself All Over Me"

As the colloquialism goes, it's best to strike while the iron is hot. If hot were to be measured in a practical way, it would be is reaching the top of the radio charts in the US. That's a feat that Zedd accomplished today with his latest single Clarity. Little do folks know that his latest single has been out for over a year now on his latest album appropriately titled Clarity.

For his new single, he hooked up with Paramore's own Hayley Williams. She plays the same role that Foxes played in Clarity, carrying the verses and building up to the drop. Check the teaser video below for visuals...

Given, it's about as bubblegum pop as it gets for EDM, but you might as well blow a few bubbles before it becomes ABC gum when the radio folks get a hold of it. I can't believe I just made an ABC gum reference...#YaBoyNeedsSleep

Zedd feat Hayley Williams - Stay the Night

"Let's Get Lost, I Don't Wanna Lose You Baby"

Regardless of genre, count me in on anything with a little bit of synthesizers and feel good vibes. Like for example, Scavenger Hunt's new one Lost. It's an easy listening, airy track that is driven by well-delivered vocals and playful percussion. I'll be first to admit, I know very little about Scavenger Hunt as a group, but I do know the duo is composed of vocalist Jill Lamoureux and producer Dan Mufson. Lucky for us, they were nice enough to offer up their debut single for free. Feel free to cop it below for your email address and heads up on their new album coming out soon...#Indie

Scavenger Hunt - Lost

"My Bad if My Ex Try and Fight You"

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

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

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

Coldplay Sets the Tone for the New Hunger Games

I'm not sure you can do any better than Coldplay when it comes to setting the tone for a movie soundtrack. As a band they're incapable of making anything but emotional music, which is usually a plus for getting people interested about a new flick. What's more exciting than the actual song is the lyric video that recently hit the interwebs. Check it below and don't be afraid to be amazed...

I'd argue that enough people are so gung-ho about the Hunger Games series that getting Coldplay to captain the soundtrack is merely icing on the cake. I say that because people are already talking about tickets going on sale for part 2, Hunger Games: Catching Fire, on October 1st. That wouldn't sound weird if I didn't tell you the movie is hitting theaters on November 22nd. Yea that's a little nuts, but I'd be lying if I wasn't a little excited for it and another Jennifer Lawrence movie...#CatchingFire

Coldplay - Atlas

Videos of the Week September 6th

And just when you thought Kenny Powers was gone for good, here he comes for Season 4 of Eastbound and Down. Honestly, I'm more than a little intrigued to see where the plot ventures off to now that Kenny seems to be done with baseball. As long as it involves Danny McBride being a complete as$hole, it'll find a way to be entertaining.

Not sure if you've caught it or not, but Drake interviews have been aplenty of late with Nothing Was the Same on the horizon. Just over two weeks left til it drops, which explains why he's saying things like "I aspire to be Marvin Gaye." It's nice to hear that he's not ever going to ever make a 100% Hip Hop album and stray away from what got him to the point he's at now. I still wish I coulda made it to the Made in America Festival last weekend. Ah, how I miss Philly! I've posted a few Decoded videos, but in general I'm a huge fan of the Life & Times series. Oh and Bone Thugs is back, which is good for Hip Hop in general...#BTNH
Eastbound and Down Season 4 Trailer

Made in America Festival Highlights - Jay Z Watching Deadmau5

Drake Aspires to be Marvin Gaye

Big Sean - First Chain (Decoded)

Bone Thugs feat Ty Dolla $ign - Everything 100 (Video)

"I'm Warning You, Don't Turn on Me"

Hmm...it's always conspicuous when a song hits the internet, yet there is no official cover art for it. That's generally an indication that the song wasn't meant to be released. Kinda like Fiddy's new one featuring the KIDinaKorner all-stars Skylar Grey and Alex Da Kid. Check the confirmation tweet below from the man himself..

Damn I may have lost this ALBUM SH!t leaking off my old drive. This is crazy. #smsaudio

— 50cent (@50cent) September 5, 2013

I'm not gung ho about the track like I usually am about just about everything Skylar and Alex touch. The beat is solid, Skylar's hook hits the spot, but I've never been a huge 50 fan lyrically. This song didn't necessarily change how I think, but it might be a different story for you if you're more of a fan than I am...#smsaudio

50 Cent feat Skylar Grey - Warning You (Don't Turn on Me) (prod by Alex Da Kid)

Deadmau5 Loves Pets x 2

If you're like me, you wigged the f*ck out when you first heard deadmau5 play Strobe in concert. Played doesn't really do justice what he did to the song. On Philly's Festival Pier, he deconstructed and built the song from the bottom up, adding one layer at a time until it was a full musical composition. I had never heard an artist do that live in concert to give a symphony like experience with electronic music. After hearing that I gained a massive amount of respect for his talents as a musician.

I bring up Strobe because it reminded me a lot of both Pets 1 & 2. Taking it a step further, when put together as an entire ten minute song together as Pets 1 & 2 it comes close to approaching the awesomeness of Strobe. It's about as soothing as you can get with electronics, which is something not a lot of EDM artists can pull off. Tip of the cap Joel, your music is the gold standard for EDM for good reason...#Pets1

Deadmau5 - Pets 1 & 2

Ellie Goulding Covers the Hell Out of Justin's Mirrors

Man just when you thought Justin Timberlake couldn't be topped at his own ballad, here comes Ellie Goulding outta nowhere. Whoever at BBC One was instrumental in making this happens deserves an extraordinary amount of dap. For added benefit, check the in-studio video below of the performance...oh and mind the three backup singers who helped it out...
The definition of a cover is taking a great song and making it your own. While I wouldn't say Ellie transformed it into something magical, she sure as hell put her stamp on his with her angelic voice. Now we get to wait for Justin to either react in admiration or call her up for a collabo. Selfishly I hope we get the latter...#Mirror

Found at Fistintheair.com

Ellie Goulding - Mirrors (Justin Timberlake cover)

Feel Good Dance Track for Labor Day

I'll admit, I've been sitting on this one for about a month now, but it's the type of smooth, feel good track that embodies what a day off should feel like. It's hard to ignore the saxophone's ability to inspire a crowd and De Hofnar showed exactly why that's the case on his new-ish track Vogelvlucht.

If you don't speak Dutch, according to the translated Wikipedia Vogelvlucht is "the collective term for the various ways in which birds move in flight." To put it succinctly, I bet you didn't think you'd a smooth jazz dance track having to do Ornithology on the blog today, did you? Just felt like keeping you on your toes today since Google tells me less people come to read on holidays. For those of you that do, I sincerely appreciate it and I hope you'll open your mind up to something inspirational and different today...#HappyLaborDay

De Hofnar - Vogelvlucht

"Where the Sky is Blue Forever"

It's rare that I listen to a track and can't figure out on first listen why I like it. Usually there's some sort of long winded, overly adjective-d dramatic explanation that I can come up with to try and convey why I dig a track. Sometimes tracks like MØ's XXX 88 simply have an organic energy about them that is infectious and gives.

Maybe it's the horns and high octane vocals or the Diplo co-production that caught my eye. Either way, I'm a fan of the up and coming Danish artist that just so happens to be featured on Avicii's new album True. Evidently the track that was supposed to feature Lana Del Rey called Dance in the Water is actually going to be called Dear Boy and feature Karen Marie Ørsted or MØ. I get how similar their voices are, but I would have thought there would have been some sort of clearly apparent correction that it wasn't Lana in the first place. Whatever the case, the fact that she's rubbing shoulders with some of the most talented DJs in the world should at the very least get your attention because it sure did mine...#XXX88 <---great song name to hashtag, take note artists

MØ - XXX 88 (prod by Diplo & Ronni Vindahl)

Adventure Club & Yuna Make Gold Together

Last weekend I did my best to organize six months worth of music into a data cd mix for a friend. That friend isn't as up on music and how it has evolved over the past year, so I found myself trying really hard to divide up EDM into sub-genres. What I ended up doing was creating four sub-categories: Slow Pop EDM, Trap, Fast EDM and Dance. The only sub-genre I really had trouble with were dubstep tracks like the one below from Adventure Club. I found that there wasn't enough pure dubstep in my collection to warrant a full folder, so I ended up putting most of the substep tracks into Slow Pop EDM.

If push came to shove that's what I would have dubbed Gold because it has it's fair share of build ups and drops, but the slow and steady tempo is much more suited for radio than a club. Yuna's vocals will draw you in the same way Ellie Goulding with here comparably sultry vocals. The real highlight of the track happens around the 2:57 mark where Adventure Club do their best to show out and prove why they're one of the best. Even if you're not a fan of the slower EDM ballads, you'll appreciate the ending of the track if you enjoy dubstep, so don't give up on it prematurely...#AdventureDub

Adventure Club feat Yuna - Gold

Videos of the Week August 29th

I'm gonna put it right out there and state that if Jay Z's Holy Grail video doesn't win some sort of video of the year award, there's a problem. I not only appreciate the dark aesthetic the video captures, the screwing and chopping for effect does a great job of defamiliarizing you with a song you already know very well. That's not easy to do in video and I'll take it a step further in saying that most artists wouldn't even try to undertake that ambitious of a task.

In other news, Big Sean snaps a kids neck then gets hacked to death in Fall Out Boy's new video for The Mighty Fall. I was a little underwhelmed at the simplicity of Daft Punk's video, but the Bingo Players made up for that lack of creativity with their new video. Seeing the Made in America trailer really makes me miss Philly. So many great shows every week, such a great city...#PhillyLove
Jay-Z feat Justin Timberlake - Holy Grail (Video)

Fall Out Boy feat Big Sean - The Mighty Fall (Video)

Daft Punk feat Pharrell - Lose Yourself to Dance (Video)

Bingo Players - Buzzcut (Video)

Jay-Z Made in America Tour (Trailer)


Photo credit: Facebook

"I Would Fight a Samurai, Just To Be With You"

It's hard to think of anyone in electronic music that better embodies the term progressive house like Afrojack. His ability to weave together high pitched synths with club rocking beats is something we've all become accustomed to. This time, he hooked up with Clinton Sparks, who is more of a jack of all trades type of DJ. I've heard him DJ so many Hip Hop tracks that when I saw he was featured on Afrojack's new single, my interest was piqued. Since it's generally uncool to do anything longer than an EP in EDM, you can expect this one to hit iTunes and Beatport by it's lonesome self. Chalk this one up to another really awesome collaboration between two really talented DJs...#EDM

Afrojack feat Clinton Sparks - Be With You

"If We Go Down, We All Go Down Together"

Hate on Krewella if you want, but I'm becoming a big fan of their brand of party music. Their mix of pop and dubstep is novel, but their schizo electronics are what set them apart from the usual pop group. I'm super pumped for their upcoming album, Get Wet, which is scheduled to hit iTunes in about a month on September 24th. Live For the Night was a big hit and I wouldn't be surprised at all if this one surpassed it in sales when all is said and done. If you're just arriving to college and need a go-to for this weekend's lineup of three-day weekend ragers, feel free and add this one to the mix...#WeGoDown

Krewella - We Go Down

"Grow Your Beard Out, Just Weird Out and Go Berzerk"

We've been anticipating it all summer and it's finally here. The lead single of Eminem's upcoming Marshall Mathers LP 2 is here and it's as rowdy as you'd expect. On the track, Em takes it back to the 90s with a Beastie Boys sounding vibe that is crafted brilliantly with the help of the wise whitebearded Hip Hop legend Rick Rubin. The beat samples Billy Squier's The Stroke and there are a ton of great fiercely delivered one liners that Slim Shady has become know for. Check out the audio below...

I think my favorite one liner on the track has to be:

"They say that love is powerful as cough syrup and Styrofoam
All I know is I fell asleep and woke up in that Monte Carlo
With the ugly Kardashian
Lamar, oh sorry yo, we done both set the bar low"

I'll invite you to follow along with the lyrics thanks to Rap Genius because there are more than a few well conceived gold nuggets of wittiness on Berzerk.

In general, I've always been very black and white when it comes to Eminem. Half his albums are barely listenable, drug induced pop albums and the others are nothing short of classic Hip Hop. Based on his lead single, I'm gonna bet that on November 5th, I'm going to be a happy camper when his album drops...#MMLP2

Eminem - Bezerk (prod by Rick Rubin)

"Let Me See Ya Hands Up One Time"

As much as I dislike the token Hip Hop tracks that feature everyone, their friend and their friends' momma's friend, I'll make an exception if there's some high quality production. Case in point Swizzy's recently released lead single off his upcoming Haute Living album. The reverberating percussion throughout the track is what kept my interest, but I gotta admit, other than Weezy's verse, I wasn't really impressed. Still, with all the high powered name recognition and hook that finds it's way into your brain, it's only a matter of time before this one gets eaten up by the masses. Feel free to beat them to the punch and pull a snobby music critic by letting them know the song is already too overplayed...#HandsUp

Swizz Beatz feat Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne - Hands Up (prod by Swizz Beatz)

"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)

"You Take Me to Nirvana, I Don’t Think This Will Last"

Man this Sam Smith is really somethin' else. I have yet to hear anything new from him that I was less than thrilled with. You can include in that statement his sappy new ballad Nirvana that will absolutely tear at your heart strings. His soulful high-end vocals cover such a range of emotions and work so well with the blues guitar lead beat, it's a really well done track. I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to Craze & Hoax and Jonathan Creek for setting the mood right on the track.

No word yet on a studio album, but the track below will surface on Sam's upcoming Nirvana EP along with his previous single Safe With Me. The EP is slated to hit iTunes on October 7th, so we have a little over a month and a half to look forward to the four track release. At this point I have little to no doubt that Sam Smith is going to soon be a household name...#Nirvana

Sam Smith - Nirvana (prod by Craze & Hoax and Jonathan Creek)

Videos of the Week August 23rd

The sheer fact that Major Lazer got Terry Crews (comedian, Old Spice guy) to play the role of Major Lazer in their latest video made my week. Who cares if the video is slightly over the top and corny, I really hope the continue to get Terry to personify the guys they keep putting on their cover art. In other news, Big Sean is still tearing up the promo circuit in preparation for his new Hall of Fame album dropping. Was it me or are the flames a little over the top in the video below?

The most noteworthy video I found to be Linkin Park's collaboration with EDM extraordinaire Steve Aoki. The track is supposed to hype up Linkin Park's new online game LP Recharge. Haven't looked into the game, but the track has some serious potential. In other news, RZA/Wu Tang and martial arts are mixing again, which is a surprise to no one. Have a good weekend y'all...#SummersOver
Major Lazer feat Peaches, Timberlee & Terry Crews - Scare Me (Video)

Big Sean Performs Fire in Studio For Sirius XM

Linkin Park & Steve Aoki - A Light That Never Comes (Trailer)

Madden 25: Running Back Sons (Commercial)

The Grandmaster Trailer (Narrarated by RZA)

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Let It Go, Let Go, of Your Fire"

What the hell, might as well keep the feel good vibe going this week with RAC (Remix Artists Collective)'s new uplifting single Let Go. The track, featuring vocals from Kele Okereke (Bloc Party) and MNDR, is a mixture of get up out yo seat funk and dance like nobody's looking pop. I really appreciate the subtle intricacies of the percussion that take this track from being run of the mill to a true standout.

The great part about Let Go is that it's original material from RAC, rather than the usual remix of a song you've already heard of. It's usually a big step for any artist, so when someone does it really well, it makes this nostalgic DJ a happy camper. Keep an ear out for RAC's upcoming Don't Talk To EP that is scheduled to hit iTunes on October 1st...#LetGo

RAC feat. Kele & MNDR - Let Go

"Gotta Keep Ya Head Up, Sit Back and Just Breathe"

Summer is damn near over, but that didn't stop Chiddy Bang from dropping a carefree single that puts listeners on relaxation to the max. Nobody is ever going to question Chiddy's lyrical ability on the mic, but I already miss the duo of Chiddy and recently disbanded member Xaphoon Jones. The song below is great, but the duo is what made the group Chiddy Bang formidable. I'll concede that with the help of Yuri Beat$, Chiddy's solo lead single Breathe did exactly what a lead single should do...build hype for an upcoming album.

Case in point, I now know that the title of his upcoming album is Baggage Claim and it's due out before the end of 2013. Not sure if will be a separate effort or not, but we can also expect a Baggage Claim mixtape to drop sometime in the next month or so. I'm gonna guess that this one will also find it's way on the mixtape/album, but either way, there's a lot coming from the land of Chiddy that's worth looking forward to in the near future...#BaggageClaim

Chiddy Bang - Breathe (prod by Yuri Beat$)

"I Be Stunting, Stunting Like I Got My First Chain"

This right here is some high quality Hip Hop. The type of storytelling based, spittin' bar after bar over a real smooth head nod worthy No I.D. beat. I know it's my M.O. to give producers the lions share of the credit for the success of tracks, but I can honestly split it 50/50 on My First Chain. Anyone who doubts that Big Sean is one of top lyricists in Hip Hop need to listen to this then think real hard about why he thinks his favorite rapper is better. You better believe Sean Don brought his A+ game after getting recently upstaged by Kendrick on Control.

Oh and I haven't even mentioned the Nas verse yet. Veterans have been known to lose a step over the years, but Nasir Jones simply refuses to let loose a half-assed verse. In comparison, I was a little let down by Cudi's verse, but that's more of a compliment to Big Sean and Nas because their verses were so on point. The real moral of the story is that Big Sean's upcoming album has gone from an noteworthy album to a must-listen album over the past few weeks. Hall of Fame hits stores in exactly a week and I for one am excited as hell...#HOF

Big Sean feat Nas & Kid Cudi - My First Chain (prod by No I.D.)

"You Got a Dream, It's Simple, Live It, Wake Up"

You could imagine how I had to pick my jaw up off the floor when the remix below found it's way into my inbox today. Mr. Worldwide on Avicii's Newgrass hit? Hmm...I wonder what this is going to sound like.

Well...it's about what you'd expect. It's more or less the same as the original, but with a Pitbull lead in and brief verse during the electronic cresendo of the track. Make no mistake about it, there are very few artists who can calmly hype a track during the intro like Pitbull. He's led off so many great, crowd inspiring tracks that you almost expect to be awed by the outcome. That being said, his energy was almost too hype for the beat on his verse. While there were more than a few quoteables to go around on well constructed verse, the verse as whole felt a bit cut and pasted. Still, it was cool to hear Pitbull take a swing at one of the best songs of 2013...#dale

Avicii Ft Pitbull and Aloe Blacc - Wake Me Up (Worldwide Remix)

"Baby I'll Rule, Let Me Live That Fantasy"

Can't say I thought I'd ever post a track from a 16 year old pop sensation from New Zealand, but in a world where the internet makes everyone a next door neighbor, nothing is out of the ordinary anymore. Enter Ella Yelich-O'Connor aka Lorde, who found a way to get The Weeknd's attention with her Alternative Billboard chart topping single Royals. Check the original before passing Go and collecting your $200...

Not gonna lie, she kinda resembled Fergie in that video. Looks aside, she's got a mystique about her that far exceeds her age. The hook on Royals finds a way to be memorable, which is more than half the battle. Lyrically she'll appeal to teens and capture the big city demographic with Hollywood dripped lyrics like...

"But every song's like gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin' in the bathroom
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room
We don't care, no we don't, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams
But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece.
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don't care, oh no, we aren't caught up in your love affair"

Oh and if you're expecting a significant vocal contribution from The Weeknd, check those expectations at the door. The remix is noticeable different because it embodies The Weeknd's usual synth driven sound. Still, the key takeaway here is watch out for Lorde, she's won over the hearts of the big US cities, which means she's on the verge of stardom with her upcoming debut album Pure Heroine...#Lorde

Lorde – Royals (The Weeknd Remix)

"All My Life, I've Been Waitin For Someone Like You"

With Avicii's debut full length studio album a month away and Wake Me Up continuing to ride the iTunes top 10, it's safe to say the excitement is building for True. For example, I'm still steady pressing F5 on the internet to hear a studio version of Hey Brother without the "Avicii exclusive mix" drops.

Speaking of Hey Brother, it won't be the second single. Instead, his new one, All My Life, will serve as the follow up single. The track isn't country at all if that's what you're hoping for, but thanks to the vocals of Salem Al Fakir, you'll be singing the hook long after you listen to it. I found myself walking through a State Park today humming this track wondering where I had heard it and what song it was. Yep, it was that catchy as hell new Avicii single with the high pitched synths and Indie vibe. If you like pop dance music, this one will sit well with you because it's fun and extremely repeatable.

If you like opening presents before Christmas, feel free and preview the entire album thanks to Fistintheair. Alternatively, if you enjoy opening presents the day of Christmas feel free and hit the pre-order...#AviciiTrue

Avicii feat Salem Al Fakir - All My Life (Someone Like You)

Videos of the Week August 16th

Interesting mix of interviews, videos and commercials this week from some of my favorites. In my opinion, it's a toss up between Big Sean and Mike Posner for top video of the week. For those who weren't living under a rock this week and caught Kendrick Lamar's lyrical assault on Hip Hop, you're probably more than a little interested about how Big Sean felt about being called out on his own track. As the story goes, Big Sean laid down his verse first and then received Kendrick's after the fact. He made the decision to not go back and change his verse after being called out and actually got excited about the effect that it would have on Hip Hop. +10 pts for Big Sean taking the high road and releasing the track as is for the betterment of Hip Hop.

Coming in second is Mike Posner's adorable video for The Way It Used To Be. Long story short, he spends the majority of the video working together with his friends to convince the girl he was with to stay with him and not break up. I won't ruin the ending, but it's got a twist and it works out for Mikey in the long run. You can file that video under sh*t that doesn't happen in real life. Rounding out the list is some new Haim and an interesting short film with Just Blaze, Baauer and Jay Z...#Higher
Introducing The Wiz Khalifa Collection From Converse

Mike Posner - The Way It Used to Be (Video)

Big Sean Breaks Down Control (Interview)

Haim - The Wire (Video)

Just Blaze & Baauer feat. Jay Z - Higher (Short Film)


Photo Credit: YouTube

"Make It Last Forever, We Can Waste Time Together"

Fear not dance music fans, although Hip Hop has taken center stage this week, The Chainsmokers are here to save the day with another great remix. This time, they injected a shot of progressive house into up and coming British band Fenech-Soler's new single Last Forever. Below is the original track for those of you who, like me, had never heard of the band before...
Fenech-Soler has sort of Matt & Kim synth-pop feel to their music that will no doubt translate well to the Indie movement in the US. Their upcoming album doesn't hit stores for another month, but here's the iTunes link if you feel so inclined.

At this point it's par for the course for The Chainsmokers to 1) introduce me to a new group/song and 2) remix it in a way that I will like it more than I would have the original. It's like someone asking you would you like some frozen yogurt or would you like some frozen yogurt with fudge and popping bobas? (Quick sidebar, popping bobas are the tits, you should try them).

Anyways, you catch my drift at where I was going with that, The Chainsmokers take songs you probably haven't heard yet and make them awesomer. I'll take it one step further and say that I'm excited to hear their never tasted before original material that is currently in the oven. Do them a favor a hype them up so they can continue their awesome movement...#LastForever

Fenech-Soler - Last Forever (The Chainsmokers Remix)

Eminem Answers the Call of Duty

For months, we've been waiting for some new material from Slim Shady. Now a day after Kendrick calls out Hip Hop, a new Eminem track leaks. Coincidence? Maybe, but it wouldn't have been a bad move for the folks in charge of the new Call of Duty: Ghosts to release their Eminem led trailer today...

Yea, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that anytime you've got an exclusive new single from Eminem to promote your game, it's going to boost sales. The tricky part is, the game doesn't hit shelves until November 5th.

As far as the track is concerned, it's as hype as you'd expect. The guitar riff driven beat by DJ Khalil elevates the energy level to a point that suits the raw delivery of Em. The Liz Rodriguez hook sounds strikingly like Skylar Grey, which isn't at all a bad thing at all. If you haven't heard of Liz, she's a member of writing, producing, recording group The New Royales who have been known to help the likes of 50 Cent, Drake, Pitbull and Slaughterhouse craft hits. Word has it, this isn't supposed to be on Eminem's forthcoming album, but a lead single from the album won't be far behind. Sounds like it's going to be an eventful fall...#Survival

Eminem feat Liz Rodriguez of The New Royales (prod by DJ Khail) - Survival

Kendrick Lamar Just Killed Complacency in Hip Hop

So...remember how Kendrick Lamar used to be the up and coming dude who was as unassuming as he was talented on the mic? Well...all that changed last night when he set the internet ablaze by calling out all of your favorite rappers. Actually, if your favorite rappers include K Dot, Nas, Jay Z, Eminem or Andre 3000, you might not have been effected by his wrath filled verse. Before I go any further, check out the offending lyrics below or fast forward to the 4:51 mark on the freestyle below...

"I heard the barbershops spittin' great debates all the time
Bout who's the best MC? Kendrick, Jigga and Nas
Eminem, Andre 3000, the rest of y'all
New ni**as just new nig**s, don't get involved
And I ain't rockin no more designer sh*t
White T’s and Nike Cortez, this is red Corvettes anonymous
I'm usually homeboys with the same ni**as I'm rhymin' wit
But this is hip hop and them ni**as should know what time it is
And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale
Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake
Big Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac Miller
I got love for you all but I'm tryna murder you ni**as
Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you ni**as
They dont wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you ni**as
What is competition? I'm tryna raise the bar high"

The part of the verse that really sticks out to me is where he calls out Big Sean and Jay Electronica who happen to be joining him on the freestyle. That tells me his barbs are more about how he strives to be the best and everyone else needs to step their game up. I know this is going to sound surprising, but Twitter didn't seem to share the same reaction. Luckily for you, NME put together a list of top tweets relating to the freestyle. Below are my three favorites...

Kendrick's verse was the rap version of accidentally sending a text to the person you're talking shit about

— ernest baker (@ernestbaker_) August 13, 2013

Rappers be lookin at Kendrick Lamar like pic.twitter.com/CEV7UoPSTE

— Grand Theft Negro (@Jonny__Cage) August 13, 2013

Heheh @BabatundeCASH LOL "@DaSpiffyCrew: Drake’s response to Kendrick Lamar’s verse 😂 pic.twitter.com/xDaWBlUr8v"

— Joseph Gichuhi (@Joegichuhi) August 13, 2013

I also got a kick out of P&P's compilation of Lupe Fiasco tweets where he pretended to write a response for all of the rappers who were singled out. All in all, I'm excited as hell that he used his talents to light a fire under Hip Hop because it's been years since anyone dared call anyone out. The only thing that died today is complacency in Hip Hop, thank you Kendrick Lamar...#Control

Big Sean ft. Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica – Control (HOF) Freestyle (prod by No I.D.)

"These Battle Scars, Don't Look Like They're Fading"

With Lee Daniels' The Butler hitting theaters later this week, it's the perfect time to rewind the clock back to last August when Lupe Fiasco's Battle Scars dropped. The song plays a central role in trailer in the movie that is getting pretty solid early ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. Like the trailer to the movie, the video does a great job of visualizing the emotional vibe of the song...

The back and forth between Lupe and Guy Sebastian over the rolling piano beat is really well done. Lupe is second to none when it comes to writing and executing thoughtful, meaningful lyrics. The war torn psyche of a soldier isn't a pretty sight, but Lupe managed to storytell in a way that made it not so bad...#BattleScars

Guy Sebastian feat Lupe Fiasco - Battle Scars

Who Doesn't Enjoy Them Some Duck Sauce

Full disclosure, I'm more than a little late to hop on the Duck Sauce bandwagon. The duo consisting of Armand Van Helden and A-Trak are steadily becoming a mainstay in EDM and to this date I have yet to give him any love. So why not start with his most well known track, It's You? Video below for the visual learners...

The high pitched synths give the track an unapologetically pop sound that can be a little bubble gum-y, but the sound sticks with you. The stark contrast between the 50s Doo Wop sample from Alan Sanchez and Bruce Patch's It's You and the quirky beat make for an EDM track with a unique personality. Call it disco house or pop EDM, whatever it is, it's new and interesting...#DuckSauce

Duck Sauce - It's You

"Hey Let Me Give Ya My Lovin' If You Like It"

I'm gonna be honest by saying that I can't say I know anything about Azealia Banks. I'll say this though, she's definitely doing something right because the blogosphere makes it a point to post anything and everything she has touched of late. Despite her ubiquitous presence around Hip Hop circles, a recent collabo that she did with Paul Oakenfold failed to get the attention it deserved. Sure, most Hip Hop/R&B blogs don't usually make it a point to post electronic music, but Venus is an uplifting dance track with a big sound. Between Azealia's cheery island vocals, brief French verse and Paul's arena filling synths, the track jettisons into orbit...#CornyPun

Paul Oakenfold feat Azealia Banks - Venus (Radio Edit)

Videos of the Week August 9th

Great week for videos with Jay Z leading the way with his "performance art film" of Picasso Baby. Despite the fact that he's ruffling feathers with every new things he does, I respect his visionary approach to Magna Carta Holy Grail. When you have the resources to do it, why not try things that nobody else has done before?

Oh, and in case you aren't tired of Miley's twerking ways, she played a starring role in Big Sean's new video. I probably would have given large amounts of money to be at either OVO Fest or TNGHT/Disclousure's Central Park concert. Maybe it was a coincidence that both took place in the same week, but jealous was running high this week...#GreatConcert
Big Sean feat Miley Cyrus - Fire (Video)

Jay-Z - Picasso Baby (Performance Art Film)

Jason Derulo feat 2 Chainz - Talk Dirty (Video)

Mayer Hawthorne Performs Her Favorite Song on Jimmy Kimmel

TNGHT Brings Out Mobb Deep & Perform Shook Ones II in Central Park