"It Always Rains Before the Rainbow"

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

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

"Monday Left Me Broken..."

Here's another one of those rare occurrences when a high quality festival rip is good enough to post. A night before Martin Garrix debuted the track at Ultra Music Festival, Avicii came through and played it during his set. For a festival rip, this is damn good quality, so don't let that scare you away. I will say this, John Legend's vocals on the track sound incredibly similar to Coldplay's Chris Martin. Beyond the vocals, you can detect Avicii's paws all over the track with bubbly, measured chord progressions dominating the sound.

It these type of huge debut tracks that have landed Ultra firmly on my concern bucket list. In case you missed the livestream of the festival, feel free and check out the many highlights via the UMF TV YouTube channel. For the record, Jack U absolutely closed it down with the help of Kiesza and many others...#UMF2015

Martin Garrix & Avicii feat John Legend - Waiting For Love

T.I. Goes Hard on New Track From Get Hard

It's been a while since I've posted a T.I. track that was this catchy. From the start, I Go Hard is shot out of a cannon with Kat delivering a quality hook over a rolling beat. The nonchalance that Tip is able to flow over the verses is why he's still considered the King of the South.

Whether or not this leads the way to success for Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell's upcoming movie Get Hard, is another story. I still haven't really seen a Kevin Hart movie that is memorable, but the 32% Rotten Tomatoes score doesn't inspire confidence. It is telling that 65% of moviegoers said they liked it, so take the serious critics with a grain of salt. I know you've seen commercials for the movie, but below is the full length tailer if you're still considering seeing it...#GetHard

T.I. feat Kat - I Go Hard

Cazzette Does Deep on Chaka Khan's Miss My Love

If you're going to be remixing or sampling classic R&B vocals, you had better come strong. And that's exactly what Cazzette did when they transformed a Chaka Khan track into cooled out, Deep House groove. If you're like me and were born in the 80s, you may have missed the original and as a result, will have to use your imagination on what it sounds like because finding an actual streamable version of the original is incredibly hard to find. That's what makes the remix even more impressive, they recycled great vocals that not many people will remember. For me, it's the perfect way to kick off a relaxing weekend and it will even mix well with some of your favorite Trop House tracks. I like my EDM smooth and versatile, which is why the bootleg below found itself seamlessly transitioning to a few of the mixes I am putting together this weekend...#MissMyLove

Chaka Khan - Miss My Love (Cazzette Bootleg)

Videos of the Week March 27th

Simply put, it was a loaded week for dancing in music videos. Led by the quirky dancing astronaut, Kygo set the tone with the visuals for his new single Stole the Show. Following closely behind is Major Lazer and DJ Snake's Indian dance anthem Lean On. And then bringing up the rear is a nerdy, Napolean Dynamite style water dancing display put on in Martin Garrix and Usher's video for Don't Look Down. If you appreciate unique expression through movement, there's enough here to get you through the weekend.

Cutting the dancing madness is the trailer for the highly anticipated HBO show turned movie, Entourage. After watching a few seasons, I'm excited to see what they can do with a full length movie. Sure, there are cameos galore, but hopefully the plot of movie is as stellar as the TV show. Closing out the week is a sultry video from Jason Derulo where he shows off his skill set as both a dancer and a wild lover. Want To Want Me is such a catchy track and the visuals definitely did the song justice...#WantYouToWantMe
Kygo feat Parson James - Stole the Show (Video)

Major Lazer & DJ Snake feat MØ - Lean On (Video)

Martin Garrix feat Usher - Don't Look Down (Video)

Entourage Official Trailer

Jason Derulo - Want to Want Me (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Betta Break Yourself"

The fact that deep house is drifting more and more toward pop music isn't all that bad. Case in point, the deep house bass line wobble on Hook N Sling's new single Break Yourself. The hook is catchy and the bass line is enchanting, making it an easy track to like. The Hip Hop/Pop sound that Far East Movement contributes injects a fun, repeatable element to the track. The slightly computerized vocals are a cool touch and fits the swanky vibe of the track. If this doesn't make you want to kick the weekend off early house party style, I don't know what will...#BreakYourself

Hook N Sling feat Far East Movement - Break Yourself

"Wake Up and We Would Touch the Sky"

YEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!! I can't think of much better news than hearing HudMo is coming out with a new full length album. Twitter love to @ArapahoeSDP coming up with an eloquent way to properly showing the excitement for the good news. For those of you as curious as me, below is the tracklist of his upcoming release, Lantern, which is due out in mid-June. Pay particular attention to track #6, which has been the great white buffalo of my world the past few years...

AHHHHHHH!!! A finished, mastered version of Scud Books is something that deserves circling on a date on the calendar. Quick side note, did you know what a scud book is in Scotland?

Elation aside, his new single, Very First Breath, featuring the vocals of Irfane is also pretty awesome. It starts off on a really high pitched note that gives way to a much more friendly Hudson-like beat clap at the 40 second mark. It's more of a trap ballad if you can imagine that. I'm trying to think of another comparable synth driven, heavy slow jam and I'm coming up empty, which is cool. June is a full two months away, but the summer just got a whole lot more interesting for me today...#VeryFirstBreath

Hudson Mohwake feat Irfane - Very First Breath

"I Spit it For the Love"

I'm a bit late to the party, but this whole electro-soul movement is pretty dope. Lead in large part by GRiZ, it's as if someone said, "Hey Hip Hop, funk and soul, you're invited to the electronic party, come on in." The tone is grown and sexy for the max, like that type of music you can probably share with your parents in a last ditch effort for common ground on a long road trip. Between this song and Snails/Big Gigantic's recent song Funk With Me, it's becoming abundantly clear that a concerted effort is being made to expand electronic music in a way that welcomes with open arms the use of the saxophone. It's all about dat sax man!

It's been a while since I've heard a Talib Kweli verse, but when you combine his powers with high quality back up vocals and funky live instrumentation vibe, it's hard not to dig. For the Love is one of many new ones on GRiZ's third studio album, Say it Loud. You'll have to wait about a week for it to drop, but that give both you and me some time to catch up on his past two albums. With GRiZ leading the way, I'm really looking forward to this futuristic direction of funk...#SayItLoud

GRiZ feat Talib Kweli – For the Love

For Major Lazer, Peace is the Mission

The funky tribal goodness is back and more just as weird as you remembered it. Armed with the usual Jamaican swag, Major Lazer is back with a beat that is basically dancehall on crack. The high-pitched, shrieking is what you'll remember, but the tempos range from walk to jog to run, all in one track. Listen and follow along with the lyrics below if you're more of a visual person...

This is the second slice of awesomeness let loose by Major Lazer in the past few weeks. Both Roll the Bass and Lean On are going to surface on their upcoming album, Peace is the Mission, which is due on June 1st. Yes, it's a bummer that there are only nine songs on their upcoming album, but if they're as high quality as their two current releases, I've got no problem with it. The only real question that remains is, what will they come up with next?...#PeaceIsTheMission

Major Lazer - Roll the Bass

Flosstradamus Are in Love With the CoCo

Just when you thought CoCo had been stretched and pulled in every remix direction possible, here comes Flosstradamus shutting it down with their own version. Using the most well-known samples from the track, the dynamic duo applied their non-stop energy to take that track to another level. Between the awe-inspiring drops and dramatic horns, it's clear that they understood why the original was successful because they amplified it to the max on the remix. If you're itching to cop it, it and a few other remixes will be landing on iTunes tomorrow as part of the official CoCoRemix package. Man, can you imagine hype festivals will be when they hear this remix?...#CoCo

O.T. Genasis - CoCo (Flosstradmus Remix)

"I Should Have Febreze on Me"

Jack Ü's debut album has been out for almost a month now and I'm feeling like I undersold well Diplo and Skrillex work together. While everyone will remember Take U There and it's many many remixes, there was much more to the ten song album. Most notably, Skrillex and Diplo's collaboration with 2 Chainz on Febreze.

If you get hung up on the corniness of the hook, I get it, but you're missing out on speaker rattling beat. It has plenty of hard hitting bass to compliment the jumpy and unpredictable synths. When you hear the phrase "party starter", think of this track and the energy it brings to a crowd. The dynamic duo may bring different styles to the way they make music, but they both excel in their ability to incite crowds, which makes their collaborations that much more entertaining...#JackU

Jack Ü feat 2 Chainz - Febreze

Videos of the Week March 20th

With SXSW being the talk of the town this week and hearing stories about how Snoop and Willie Nelson ate KFC in Amsterdam together, it's only fitting the lead off video of the week has to do with Jimmy Kimmel trolling attendees of the legendary festival. It's a little unnerving how quickly people are to pretend to know what they're talking about when it comes to music. My favorite was DJ Gluten and how his music is hard to tolerate...love it!

For the weekly Fallon spot, Ben Stiller made a quick cameo to do some really entertaining impromptu role playing. On them music front, it's getting a little ridiculous how great lyric videos are becoming. Case in point both Martin Garrix and David Guetta's latest videos for their new singles. One took the more cartoony route, the other took a more literal, real life entertainment angle. It makes you wonder if real videos are even worth it these days? Finally, rounding out the top 5 is a behind the scenes look at Ed Sheeran's tour. Yes, you read that right, he does in fact sing to cats around the four minute mark. I'm starting to think going on a worldwide tour should be on my bucket list...#Sheeran

Jimmy Kimmel Makes Up Band Names to Troll SXSW Attendees

Jimmy Fallon and Ben Stiller Role Play and Get Emotional Together

Martin Garrix feat Usher - Don't Look Down (Lyric Video)

David Guetta feat Nicki Minaj & Afrojack - Hey Mama (Lyric Video)

Ed Sheeran Tour Diary Part 2 Where He Sings Thinking Out Loud to Cats

Photo Credit: YouTube

Some Thrilling New Nero

There are few acts that have a big enough sound to make an outdoor festival seem small. Nero is on that short list because their combination of drum and bass with pop vocals is second to none. It's hard to explain, but I find their sound to be loud, but calming. There is a clear force to their music, but at the same time their brand of rhythmic dubstep is soothing to me.

Word has it their sophomore album is almost ready to come out of the oven. The Thrill is the latest indication that another epic album is on the way. It's a bit tame, but will remind you a lot of their first album. Chalk it up to another potential Top 40 single and hop on the hype train because it just gained some steam tonight with the release of this goodness...#TheThrill

Nero - The Thrill

"Welcome to My House, Play That Music Too Loud"

When it comes to pop music success, South Florida is the epicenter of consistency. I'd give a slight nod to Pitbull, but Flo Rida has also been the model of consistency over the past decade. Very few singles that they have performed have flopped and that includes Flo's new one My House. The track bears the same title as the seven song EP he's releasing in early April. It's not exactly a typical dance floor anthem, but it has a throwback, sing-along vibe to it. Hate him or love him you, but you can't deny that he's successfully paved his own unique path by usinq Hip Hop to achieve Top 40 success...#MyHouse

"Don't Look Down, This High Will Never Hit the Ground"

Put Usher with any well known EDM artist and you better believe I'll be on board. The latest to enlist the vocal expertise of Mr. Raymond is one of EDM's elite, Martin Garrix. From the start, it has the feel of an emotional progressive house anthem. Don't Look Down is a great example of an electronic track that would be just as successful as a piano ballad. There are some beautifully melodic chords in the mix that step up to the plate and compliment Usher's vocal lead. Go ahead, try and match Usher's high pitched vocals while you're in the car listening to this one. Just make sure the windows are rolled up before you do it...#DontLookDown

Martin Garrix feat Usher - Don't Look Down

"It's Our Time To Go, But At Least We Stole the Show"

With the internet continuing to salivate over everything that is Kygo, it's a safe bet that the blogosphere is going to get shut down tonight with his new single Stole the Show. The track features vocals from Parson James and is more of a vocal ballad than a sweep-you-off-your-feet Trop House anthem. Don't get me wrong, it's plenty relaxing and catchy with the high pitched flutes reeling you in early, but it's not going to be retread without mercy like Firestone. The single is scheduled to hit your favorite e-store in about a week, just before he hits the stage to start his Spring festival rampage at Ultra Music Festival. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Kygo is the driving force behind Tropical House and however big he gets, Tropical House will get...#StoleTheShow

Kygo feat Parson James - Stole the Show

It's All About the Funk Mixed With Sax

Here's another great example of why EDM is the most exciting genre right now. Yet another OWSLA artist taking their own unique brand of electronic music and absolutely making it his own. I've been warming up to Snails for a while, but his new collaboration with Big Gigantic is nothing short of funk-filled deliciousness.

While the cover art for Funk With Me might stick with you a while, the dirty bass and sax combination is stellar. There's such a cool mix of grown up funk and unadulterated teenage craziness that you don't usually hear on one track at the same time. You'll be able to find this one and many other heat rocks like it on the OWSLA Spring Compilation 2015 that will be hitting iTunes on Tuesday. After a quick look at the checklist, you'll be hard pressed to find another collaboration that's anywhere near as exciting as this one...#VOMITSTEP

SNAILS feat Big Gigantic - Funk With Me

Trap Doesn't Have to Loud to Be Successful

While much of the top 40 EDM scene is dominated by House music (mostly progressive or deep), Trap is the sub-genre of EDM that gets me most excited. In my eyes Trap has the highest ceiling because much of sound is derived from what I like best about EDM (synth driven chord progressions) and Hip Hop (low bass). Not only are Trap beats a love child of two great parents, they're also less prone to being ruined by terrible rappers who can distract from the quality of the instrumentation.

All that being said, I generally like my Trap music loud and heavy to the point of speaker fatigue. Below is a new track by TroyBoi that is an exception to the aforementioned generalization. Zone is exactly what you'd hope a song with that title would be. It's a song that is so cooled out that it induces relaxation by listening. The flutes layered on top of a quirky, but soothing beat mix really well together. Even better, it won't cost you more than a Soundcloud like to cop the track. Good things in life don't usually come free, but tonight it did...#MyStyle

TroyBoi - Zone

Videos of the Week March 13th

The top five this week range from haunting to hilarious to happy. Starting with the haunting, it appears Kanye has landed on Anonymous's sh*t list. That doesn't seem like a very fun place to be in a time where cyber security is more of a myth than an actual thing these days. They have some interesting moral high ground points in pointing out the choices he's made in speaking out against people and choosing, then supporting his now wife Kim Kardashian (sidebar: she's not getting linked, she gets linked enough). We'll see if anything real comes of this, but there are unconfirmed rumors that his laptop was stolen in Paris...the plot thickens.

Picking up with the hilarious, Mikey Bolts came through with a stellar vocal performance of Uptown Funk where he channels his inner Family Guy. If you're in the mood for happy, I don't see how Kygo's Firestone could possible NOT cheer you up. I still have yet to push next when listening to that song, it's nothing short of classic. Also on the hPhe lovebird collaboration between Zedd and Selena Gomez. I'll put it this way, I wasn't unhappy watching Selena dance around in the video. Serving as nice exclamation point on the week is Kendrick Lamar's freestyle over Notorious B.I.G. beats. So cool seeing some fresh lyricism over beats that I grew up with...#ToPimpAButterfly

Kygo feat Conrad Sewell - Firestone (Video)

Mikey Bolts Delivers Uptown Funk Family Guy Style

Anonymous Delivers a Message to Kanye West

Zedd feat Selena Gomez - I Want You to Know (Video)

Kendrick Lamar Freestyles to Biggie Beats

Photo Credit: YouTube

Ellie Goulding Just Owned Hozier's Take Me to Church

Wow...plain and simply WOW! It's hard to imagine anyone on earth singing Take Me to Church as well as Hozier did on the original. Then Ellie Goulding took to the mic and blessed the track with her raspy vocals, providing a new take on a modern day classic. It's most interesting to how two different vocal deliveries and pronunciations on words throughout the track create a completely different listening experience. My only question is, where's the duet? I mean Sam Smith and John Legend made it happen, why can't Hozier and Ellie Goulding get together?...#TakeMeToChurch

Ellie Goulding - Take Me to Church (Hozier Cover)