Archive for the ‘all about the music’ Category

all about the music // January 26th, 2010 // 2 Comments

More of this, pls.

par-foomHad a really dope breakfast conversation today about writing, music and… well, writing and music, at the Starbucks at Howard with a loud derelict chortling in the background at a book he was reading. It was extremely fucking loud, and we were afraid he was dying because it was a hacking cough that sounded like he was being strangled from the inside. This detail isn’t important to this post at all but I wanted to include it.

 

What struck me the most about this conversation was that we discussed Pop divas. The concept of Pop divas is something that I’m largely at odds with, since I tend to believe Pop stars are frivolous yet always end up somehow becoming cultural ambassadors. Moreso, the conversation I had was with another gay man of color, and in most of my experience, in real life or online, those discussions usually devolve into heated emotional warfare. I mean, we hit all the usual targets–Whitney, Beyoncé, Mariah, Mary J., and a bit of Madonna and Janet–and never once did it become “OMG OMG OMG SHE’S SUCH A SAINT AND EVERYONE HATES HER BECAUSE OF HER BEAUTY AND SUCCESS AND EVERYTHING ABOUT HER IS SO FLAWLESS AND FIERCE!!” or “HOW DARE YOU SAY _______ IS INCONSISTENT? YOU KNOW WHAT? FUCK YOU. I’M NEVER SPEAKING TO YOU AGAIN. BITCH.”

 

It was a very pleasant and fun conversation where we allowed each other to be critical and comparative without fear of stepping into landmines. I can’t say that I’m particularly surprised, since the person with whom I had this breakfast discussion engages with me in a way where I never have to worry about that. But within the larger context of my gay brethren, socially, this was a glass of homemade lemonade on a quiet beach in the middle of 80 degree weather (What is… refreshing? </jeopardy>).

 

So basically I’m marking this day on my calendar and celebrating its anniversary next year. With gifts.

 

all about the music // December 25th, 2009 // 9 Comments

This is what Mary J. Blige is doing wrong.

We’ve arrived at that time of the year where I review the latest offering from my beloved Mary J. Blige. It has become a bi-annual tradition, since her fourth quarter, every-other-year- release can be counted on like clockwork. With that in mind let’s review the way her last three albums have been setup by Blige via press.

 

On Stronger With Each Tear:

“The album represents who and what I am right now. I’m a stronger human being after all the growing pains. It’s about life, love, change, strength—mostly really knowing who you are and being confident in that.”

 

On Growing Pains:

“It’s not reliving where I been. [The album is] just based on where I am… So many people are like, ‘I’m perfect.’ I’m so imperfect, that’s why I’m able to let everything out and let people see everything. ‘Cause I’m just a mess like every other person that’s a mess out there. And it’s going to take probably a lifetime to get to a point in my life where I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m perfect.’ I don’t think that will ever happen. So as long as I’m a human being and I’m not perfect, I’m able to say I’m having some growing pains. Because in order to sustain where you are once you made such a breakthrough that everyone is looking at you, now everyone is like, ‘Ooh, is she gonna make a mistake?’ Yes, I’m going to make a mistake. Yes, I’m still gonna do things. And that’s what Growing Pains is about, it’s about finally not whining about the pain, Mary J. Blige, and accepting the pain that comes with growing.”

 

On The Breakthrough:

“Well, the significance of the title is, if you can last in the music business, and just in life period, you’re having…I’m talking about me, you know, I had to grow up in front of everyone you know? And go through everything I went through. This is the hardest business to sustain and even think about sustaining after you have been through so much. And through it all, I tried to remain positive, I tried to get through the peaks and the valleys. When I’m in the valley I try to remain in a stable, positive position, which is hard to do. That’s something in itself. Anything that’s hard to do, you’ve got to break into it. You’re not going to get through a door without the key unless you break it down. Or, you’re not going to get through some glass unless you break through it, or bust through it, you know. So my life has been like, really, just one trial after the next, and heavy, heavy situations, so I managed to make it to this point, to where I’m actually feeling good about myself. I like myself. I understand that there will be more trials and tribulations and negative situations to come, but there’s also a choice I can make, and I’m going to choose to be happy, and do the right thing. And that’s what “The Breakthrough” is about.”

 

To all of the above I call bullshit.

 

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all about the music // December 13th, 2009 // 3 Comments

My 21 Favorite Songs Of 2009

top09I’m ambivalent about “Top” lists because people rarely make the distinction between declaring something a “favorite” versus saying it’s “the best.” So I’m going to make the difference clear from the outset to avoid any confusion, since poor comprehension is just as bad as illiteracy: I’m not saying these songs are the best of the year, they are simply songs that I played over and over again and/or that resonated with me the most. If my favorite Kool-Aid is Purplesaurus Rex, it does me no good when someone says it “should” be strawberry. That’s their business.

 

So here’s my list, in no particular order with handy Blip.fm links since this is what I spent a good two hours doing today. Enjoy!

 

  1. ERIC ROBERSON FT. WES FELTON: “The Hunger” (Music Fan First) {blip.fm}*
  2. TORTURED SOUL: “Did You Miss Me” (Did You Miss Me) {blip.fm}
  3. FULL CRATE & MAR: “80’s Sugar” {blip.fm}
  4. JADAKISS FT. PHARRELL: “Stress Ya” (The Last Kiss) {blip.fm}
  5. LEON KING: “Remedy” (The Digital Church) {blip.fm}
  6. LEONARD DSTROY FT. REGGIE B: “Heartbeat” (Game Over) {blip.fm}*
  7. MARC MAC FT. PHONTE: “Take A Trip” (In Between The Lines) {blip.fm}
  8. MAXWELL: “Bad Habits” (BLACKsummersnight) {blip.fm}
  9. MOS DEF FT. GEORGIA ANNE MULDROW: “Roses” (The Ecstatic) {blip.fm}
  10. NICOLAY FT. CARLITTA DURAND: “Wake Up In Another Life” (City Lights 2: Shibuya) {blip.fm}*
  11. RYAN LESLIE: “You’re Not My Girl” (Transition) {blip.fm}
  12. JANET JACKSON: “Make Me” (Number Ones) {blip.fm}
  13. CAMP LO: “Boogie Nights” (Another Heist) {blip.fm}
  14. DE LA SOUL: “La La La” (NBA Live 2010) {blip.fm}
  15. ZO! FT. PHONTE: “My Flame” (Just Visiting Too) {blip.fm}
  16. JAY ELECTRONICA: “Exhibit C” {blip.fm}
  17. SADE: “Solider of Love” (Soldier Of Love) {blip.fm}**
  18. FULL CRATE & MAR FT. VERSIS: “Flirtwitu” {blip.fm}
  19. ANTO VITALE FT. TAMARA WELLONS: “Broken Wings” {blip.fm}*
  20. NICOLAY FT. CARLITTA DURAND: “Saturday Night” (City Lights 2: Shibuya) {blip.fm}
  21. DOTMATIC: “The City” (The City) {blip.fm}*

 

*5 of these songs are designated as my “Top 5″ here.

**Used the word “best” in my blip description which may conflict with my screed at the beginning of this post. Leave me alone.

 

all about the music // December 3rd, 2009 // 6 Comments

America, this is your Grammy winner. Right here.

I’m only just getting around to paying any attention to the Grammy noms, since my investment in not only popular music but music as a whole and any discussion thereof is diminishing faster than the speed of light. Seriously, the world has gone mad and all I can do is laugh until my sides hurt.

 

Compare the headlines that Beyoncé was nominated for 10 awards while Whitney was nominated for zero and you begin to understand the magnitudinous absurdity at work. And no, I don’t have any particular investment in either Whitney or Beyoncé (although in theory I’m supposed to be genetically predisposed to worshipping them since I’m a Black, gay male–but then I truly do not give first-fuck or last. I’m hoarding fucks and distributing them only for emergency purposes. Waste not, want not.) but 10 to 1 for these two speaks volumes on music, its industry and fans, and our culture. (Even a close comrade says of  Beysus: “GaGa gets shunned in the new artist category because of a bullshit technicality and this nursery rhyme writing ho gets 10 NODS??? Please. She must be fuckin’ somebody on the nomination board somethin TERRIBLE!!!”) Or maybe it doesn’t. Consider this:

 

Nominations for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Ego: Beyoncé & Kanye West
Knock You Down: Keri Hilson, Kanye West & Ne-Yo
Run This Town: Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West
I’m On A Boat: The Lonely Island & T-Pain <—THIS
Dead And Gone: T.I. & Justin Timberlake

 

Have you LOL’d all over yourself like I did yet? One can only imagine the copious amounts of crack smoked and bong water swallowed to arrive at this nomination. But, I think it should win, just be-fucking-cause.

 

all about the music // November 4th, 2009 // 2 Comments

They listened to Amerie’s new album so I wouldn’t have to.

amerie in love and warAmerie will always have joints, but a cursory skim through In Love and War by this blogger resulted in not a little ambivalence. Most of my indifference comes courtesy of tracks like “Heard ‘Em All” (adding Weezy is insult to injury but I understand how calculated this was, though it was too contrived) and “Swag Back” (based on title alone). With that in mind, I can’t write a proper review. Let’s see what other folks had to say, since my soft spot for her has become a callous:

 

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