#BlogMusic – R&B Rundown – Oct. 8, 2012
#BlogMusic: R&B Rundown
By: Brandon Clay @bballplusmusic
Artist: Elle Varner
Track: “I Don’t Care”
Grade: B+
Eval: Varner’s debut CD “Imperfectly Perfect” dropped early this year and this track is the third single. With a more laid back sound that either of this first two, “I Don’t Care” is the style of track that can give Varner’s albums a complete feel while still maintaining a storyline R&B feel. In this track, she talking about falling off the ledge in love while not being able to play games or hide her feelings regardless of who the object of her affection is (in the music video a black female falls for a white guy). It’s a real place that makes the song instantly relatable to the listener. The song is on the airwaves in limited rotation in the Atlanta radio market already.
Favorite Line: “I’m gonna lose this game. I’ve got no poker face. I’m not designed for this.”
Artist: Avant feat. KeKe Wyatt
Track: ”You & I”
Grade: A
Eval: It’s been since “4 Minutes” came out in 2006 that I felt Avant had a can’t miss track. It only took about 30 seconds to realize that he’s sitting on another one with “You & I.” The chemistry with him and Wyatt is impressive as they compliment each other very well. They have teamed up before producing the solid single “My First Love” a couple of years ago. I was telling OrganizedGrind.com affiliate, Jermale Wilkerson, that this collaboration has the feel of Eric Benet and Tamia’s famous “Spend My Life With You.” While this one might not have the staying power that Benet’s wedding anthem had, it should have staying power on urban airwaves for months to come.
Favorite Line: “You’re like a rose that blooms in my garden, innocent and sweet, my love you are. One thing I know, loving you is easy for me to do. I will feel this way ‘til the end of time. Even though you’ve heard this a thousand times, it’s the truth.” – Avant
Artist: Antoine Dunn
Track: “Can’t Forget”
Grade: A-
Eval: Antoine Dunn is fresh on the scene with this smooth cut. He’s currently on the road opening for Grammy Award-winning artist, Anthony Hamilton. This song dropped by in the winter of 2011 but is just now gaining traction. Dunn’s got a look like Joe Thomas coupled with a voice that is easy to listen to over the track. He’s poised to make a solid impact with his debut CD “Truth of the Matter” that is scheduled for an October 16th release. If this track is any indication, the album will be worth picking up.
Favorite Line: “I can’t keep waiting for dreams to come true cause I’m waiting for you…”
Brandon Clay is a contributor to TheOrganizedGrind.com through his #BlogMusic reviews. A self-professed music junkie, Clay has been on his music game since picking up his first Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. You can follow him on Twitter @bballplusmusic
Blog Music: Big Sean “Detroit” Review 9/24/12
Blog Music: Big Sean – Detroit Mixtape
By: Brandon Clay @bballplusmusic
Blog Music will give readers a different look at some of the hottest songs in the music game regardless of genre from my iPod. In this edition, we take a look at three tracks off Big Sean’s new “Detroit” mixtape and provide a breakdown and grade of each:
Track: Higher
Grade: A
Eval: Sean starts out the mixtape with one of the meanest tracks on the tape. He’s solo on this one and immediately starts to talk about how the success he’s seen since his debut album, “Finally Famous,” dropped last summer.
Favorite Lines:
“Reminiscence on the rappers I would look up to…even brothas seven feet say that I’m who they look up to.”
“Michigan State close to my Michigan estate” (East Lansing where MSU is located isn’t far from Sean’s new house)
“Til I was standin next to Puff and HOV off the French Coast, a million never seemed so broke.” (a reference to two guys in Jay Z and Sean Combs worth over a billion dollars combined)
24K of Gold
Grade: A+
Eval: The second track on the CD is the second appearance for beatmaker Key Wane. He lays down a beat that both Sean and guest rapper, J. Cole find their groove on. Both rappers are amongst that cut of young emerging guys right underneath Drake (a group that also includes Meek Mill and Wale).
Favorite Lines:
“We would have won it all or I have lost it all like Ocho” – Big Sean (talking about the relatively quick on and off field descent of former NFL star Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson)
“Switching lanes in the Range, swervin all crazy…I’ve been serving ya’ll lately, chedda on Federer. Ball ‘til I fall, etc, etc. ” – J. Cole
***(couple layers: 1) Range = Green Range that Cole raps about in the song “Green Ranger” on Dedication 4 — a must hear track. 2) Serving ya’ll/Federer = tennis star Roger Federer is known for serving aces)
Woke Up
Grade: A-
Eval: Definitely an uptempo track that should be a nice addition to any weekend ride playlist. The hook might be the coolest piece to this song.
Favorite Lines:
“I woke uppp…” – The essence of the hook
“When they see the crib, they start thinkin’ bout Cribs. Done dealt with real life too long now it’s time to live. Respect, out the D (Detroit) hardly had a pot to pee in. Now I’m at the Coliseum, little dudes gotta see em.” – Big Sean
Bonus: Wale’s verse on “Life Should Go On” is amazing — just listen.
“I’m not messin’ with the kid like Chris Hansen in the kitchen.” (Chris Hansen is the host of the NBC Dateline series, To Catch A Predator”)
Brandon Clay is a contributor to TheOrganizedGrind.com. A self-professed music junkie, Clay has been on his music game since picking up his first Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. You can follow him on Twitter @bballplusmusic
Album Review: Kanye West Presents: G.O.O.D. Music – “Cruel Summer” 9/19/2012
Blog Music: Cruel Summer Review
By: Brandon Clay
Blog Music will give readers a different look at some of the hottest albums and songs in the music game regardless of genre from my iPod. This week, we breakdown some of the notable tracks from the highly anticipated G.O.O.D. Music album, “Cruel Summer”:
The CD is solid though it does fade on the back half on the CD. “Don’t Like.1″ brings some energy back though it might be a couple of songs too late. The current G.O.O.D. Music lineup lacks the energy of Maybach Music Group but has a well-rounded cast of characters. All in all, a solid output from Kanye’s crew…
1) “To The World” – Kanye wastes no time letting us all know that this is G.O.O.D. Music at its’ finest bringing out R. Kelly on the CD’s opening track.
Favorite Line:
“I need a new crib to hold my plaques. Rick Ross had told me that. These brothas try to hold me back, these brothas try to hold me back. I’m just tryin to protect my stacks. Mitt Romney don’t pay no tax.” – Kanye
2) “Clique” - The second official single off the album is a banger. Big Sean, ‘Ye and Jay-Z join forces for what appears to be a smash hit. Fresh off of his “Detroit” mixtape, Sean provides the hook and the opening verse. Jay is in the middle before ‘Ye finishes it off.
Favorite Line:
“Turn 62 to 125. 125 to a 250, 250 to a half a mil and ain’t nothin’ nobody can do with me. Now who with me? Vamonos. Call me Hov or Heffe. Translation: I’m the ish. At least that’s what my neck say. At least that’s what my check say.” – Jay-Z
3) “Mercy” - The lead single dropped in the earlier part of the year and featured Big Sean, Pusha T, Kanye and 2 Chainz (who is an affiliate to the crew). It also showcased what is undoubtably the most complete verse from 2 Chainz in recent memory if not ever.
Favorite Line:
“Catch up (ketchup) to my campaign, coupe the color of mayonnaise…horsepower, horsepower, all this Polo on I got horsepower.” – 2 Chainz
4) “New God Flow” - Pusha T aka “Ric Flair” shows up with his strongest verse on the album here to open the track.
Favorite Line:
“They love a brotha’s spirit like Pac at the Coachella (direct reference to the hologram of Tupac Shakur that Dr. Dre had on stage)” – Pusha T
5) “Cold” - This song leaked a while back as “Theraflu” while all of the Kim Kardashian and Kanye West dating rumors were just getting started. The song was originally slated for DJ Khaled’s album as a single but ‘Ye stepped up and put it out early.
Favorite Line:
“I’ll admit I fell in love with Kim about the same time she fell in love with him (reference to NBA player and Kim’s former husband, Kris Humphries). Well that’s cool babygirl do your thing. Lucky I ain’t have Jay drop him from the team.” – Kanye
*Sidebar: Not only did Jay-Z not drop Humphries from the Nets, the team re-signed him in the off-season to a multiple year deal.
9) “The One” – Singer Marsha Ambrosius joins Big Sean, 2 Chainz and Kanye for a smooth cut with the rappers talkin’ about where they are in the game.
Favorite Line:
“If you ever held the title belt, you would know how Michael felt. Tyson, Jackson, Jordan, Michael Phelps.” (a play on a mid 2000′s Cam’Ron line with the addition of Phelps given his recent success) – Kanye
12) “Don’t Like. 1″ - The original version from freshman Chief Keef out of Chicago was a hit but the remix provides a veteran feel with more substance. Nice way to close out the initial G.O.O.D Music compilation. Legendary rapper Jadakiss joins ‘Ye, Sean, Pusha and Keef for this one.
Favorite Line:
“They ain’t about that life, they ain’t about that life. We hangin’ out the window, it’s about to be a Suge Knight…shoutout to Derrick Rose, man that brotha nice!” – Kanye (reference to Chicago native and NBA All-Star DRose. ‘Ye and Keef are from Chicago)
Brandon Clay is a contributor to TheOrganizedGrind.com. A self-professed music junkie, Clay has been on his music game since picking up his first Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. You can follow him on Twitter @bballplusmusic
‘Boardwalk Empire’ Season 3 Teaser: ‘New Year, New Rules’ (VIDEO)
One of my favorite HBO show’s will be back soon, this fall to be exact. “Boardwalk Empire” has released its first Season 3 teaser, and Nucky Thompson is looking like he’s embracing being a ‘gangster’. In the black-and-white teaser, Atlantic City’s former treasurer smokes a cigarette while delivering a monologue that begins, “It’s a new year, new rules … let’s cut the bullshit.”
As images of his gangster friends and foes — Lucky Luciano, Arnold Rothstein and Chalky White — flash across the screen, Nucky lays out the new order of business for 1923. “I’ve got friends in politics, as a favor to them, I prefer to simplify things,” he says, before ordering a bullet put in someone’s head.
It seems like Nucky, vindicated in his corruption trial and from the burdens of public office, has finally morphed into the “gangster” that Jimmy Darmody advised him to become during Season 1. Unfortunately, Jimmy won’t be around to reap the benefits after his former mentor put an end to their relationship in the season 2′s finale. Literally.
I can’t wait for season 3.
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg Resurrect Tupac at Coachella 2012
The highlight of Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg’s historic performance at Coachella 2012 was the rumored and much talked about hologram appearance from Tupac Shakur. Fans in person and those streaming worldwide gasped and celebrated as the late legendary MC was brought to life for a brief moment in which the digital image performed “Hail Mary” and “2 of Amerikka’s Most Wanted” alongside Snoop Dogg. I’m still a little shook up by this, and I’m one of the biggest ‘Pac fans ever. Skip up to the 32 minute mark… and see for yourself. Shout out to Dre & Snoop though, these guys are so legendary, they have sooo many hits its riduculous.
Meet 7 year old rapper P-Nut
Talk about poise and charisma… This lil guy is going to be a star. I need to make a trip to Memphis.
Jay-Z’s Rocawear Partners With New York Yankees
After airing their first ever commercial during the NCAA championship game, Jay-Z‘s clothing brand, Rocawear, has announced a business partnership with the famed New York Yankees.
Details of the partnership have yet to be revealed, but Executive Vice President of Marketing at Iconix Brand Group Jameel Spencer explained how the pairing came about:
“Jay-Z has been a long-time fan of the Yankees, regularly attends games and has even included his favorite team in song lyrics, so this was a natural partnership. Rocawear, along with Jay-Z are very excited to be working with the Yankees for the 2012 season. We feel another championship in ‘12!”
Can’t say we didn’t see this coming.
