Kanye West- See Me Now (feat. Beyoncé "Nigga" Knowles + Charlie Wilson)

"If you fall on the concrete, that's yo asphalt..."

I QUITE LIKE THIS song. I do have a love/hate thing going on with Kanye, however. Ever since that Taylor Swift thing I've been having to defend him quite often and I'm growing to resent that. Plus, I didn't really like POWER besides that amazing beat, for which Mr. West is not responsible. Talk about letdown. I like RUNAWAY, and by the looks of his performances of that song, the red-suited devil motif juxtaposed with delicate ballerinas is really interesting. (By the way, is Pusha T of the Clipse no longer with his broham? Is he a part of G.O.O.D. now?) 

Anyway this song, SEE ME NOW, has been on the radio for the past couple of weeks and is one of the current few songs I don't mind hearing. And of course, Beyoncé's blatant "Nigga" is bleeped out. I for one am not really against using the word. In fact, every morning I climb up to my roof and repeatedly yell nigga at the top of my voice. It really clears my esophageal tract, and reminds my neighbors of who is black on our street.

But is it just me or does this remind you of JLo's nigga incident of 2001 in I'm Real? For some reason it was okay for Big Pun [RIP] to say it, but when JLo did it the record scratched to a pause and everyone stopped dancing. By the same token, we are aware that Beyoncé is a black girl from Houston, and yet it feels so scandalous when she says it. To me it sounds like she deliberately requested say it really loud right smack dab in the chorus like "Yeah, take that! Niggas!!" Maybe there's a political reason why she did it. Maybe she was doing it for JLo? 

Then again, I feel like I should also cite that she said nigga in the song Irreplaceable; only then it was hidden deep in the lyrics and is barely audible unless you listen closely. "If I bought it nigga please don't touch..."  Maybe since we didn't hear her that time, she wanted to make sure we hear it this time. 

So, by the will of Queen Beyoncé, let the word Nigga be heard loudly and clearly, amidst the rest of this great tune.

TOY STORY 3!!!!!

WAS SO GOOD. I loved it. The plot was so sweet and really takes you for a ride. The screenplay is by Lee Unkrich, the same guy who wrote Little Miss Sunshine (another favorite of mine) and got an Oscar for it. I feel like Toy Story 3 is going to go down the same path! Real talk, go see it!

Little Dragon

Constant Surprises

I'm loving this group. It's like Erykah Badu and Amel Larrieux had a Japanese baby and she went to the same elementary school as Feist.

Adventure Time!

I HATE CARTOONS but I'm slowly becoming hooked on ADVENTURE TIME. It takes surrealism to a whole 'nother level and the humor is so simple --- I love it!

MY FRIEND RYAN DREW THIS FOR ME. FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER (@RWMEAD)

And make sure you catch Adventure Time on Cartoon Network Mondays at 8. MATHEMATICAL!!!

One Thing about Music...

THE OTHER DAY I heard my little sister in the kitchen singing "One thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain"

"Hey!" I said " Dead Prez, right?"

She goes " No, It's Drake."
Then my big sister comes in like "Uhh no. That's Bob Marley."

The Karate Kid (2010)

RILEY FREEMAN?

No, but I really wanna see this. 6/11/10 

6 GIRLY JAMS TO DANCE TO THIS SUMMER

I'M VERY MUCH drawn to music by female artists who challenge the definition of what is ladylike; I think it broadens the spectrum of femininity. We can range from reserved, graceful and pure, to karate- chopping, sex bomb, potty- mouthed vixens. I wish I had the balls  ovaries to fall on the latter end of the scale, and I think it's so rad when chicks own their sexuality/ ferociousness and express it in their music, not in an objectifying way, but in an empowering way. 

RIHANNA- RUDE BOY: I like this song because it's danceable and plain old fun. Rihanna doesn't care who's judging her style or her change of image from good girl to feisty little blonde pompadour girl. Good for her. She deserves to have what she want want wants. 

KESHA- BLAH BLAH BLAH: I don't care what anyone says, I like what Ke$ha's about. Although I wouldn't invite her to my house for fear of her vomiting in my closet, she does make me want to add feathers and glitter to my wardrobe. All her songs are catchy as hell too.  Not saying I'm a die- hard Ke$ha fan, but I know I'll be blasting Blah Blah Blah at least for the summer.

UFFIE- POP THE GLOCK: If you aren't familiar with Uffie, then I suggest you get yourself acquainted with this Florida born, Tokyo raised, French based Electro artist. She's a rave goddess, coming into your world to take away all your cares and inhibitions with her sweet voice and colorful beats. This song, (which ingeniously samples Audio Two's Top Billin) pairs well with good times, short skirts and unplanned pregnancies.  Uffie's debut album, Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans drops in the U.S. this June! 

TRINA-LOOK BACK AT ME FT KILLER MIKE: This song is probably a year old but I hadn't heard it until recently when a friend of mine played the edited version in her car. The bass was bumpin and I absolutely loved it. (Later, when I went home and listened to the unedited version, my ears fell off.)

LA ROUX- BULLETPROOF: The first time I saw this video, I thought I was being Rick rolled. I've since grown to love Eleanor Jackson's androgynous look,  just as much as I adore this tune. It isn't necessarily a bad- girl song, but it's about emotional resilience, and I respect that. Plus, this is the jam, so turn it up!

BRITNEY SPEARS- 3: This list would not be complete without '3'. This song is so cutting- edge Britney, it joins the ranks of 'Slave for You' for my favorite Spears songs ever! She's a minx and she knows it, so why not show it? I'm glad safe Britney is long gone and I find security in the fact that I know I'll hear this song on any given night in a gay club. I bet centuries from now, when my head is in a pickle jar, my robot body will be dancing to this song. ( probably doing the robot.)

Awkward Comedy Show!!!

YOURS TRULY had the chance to go to THE AWKWARD COMEDY SHOW DVD release show and party on Monday night at Comix in NYC with my friend Sam. She was sweet enough to photograph my giddy fan-girl antics with these incredible Comedians/ Awesome people. They were great. And the legendary Prince Paul was there!!!

Seriously. Go Get a copy of THE AWKWARD COMEDY SHOW on DVD NOW!

Boondocks Season 3

SOOOO WE WAITED like a thousand years for the season 3 premier of THE BOONDOCKS and it finally came back last night. 


As much as I worship the ground Aaron McGruder walks on, I have to say I wasn't thrilled with last nights episode (which dealt with Obama's election). I understand that the show hasn't had any new episodes since the historic 2008 presidential election, but damn that was 2 years ago. It's old news. Maybe that's the problem-- the fact that the show has had a hiatus for that long has caused issues of relevance and perhaps even a loss of momentum among the audience. 


And I also wish there was a little more reflection in the story as to why Huey was so discontent with Obama in the first place. Is it me, or did the whole episode seem really unresolved? 


I will say however that the Will.I.Am ft Thugnificent song was hilarious.

Quick Little Rant: Old Music Better than New Music?

IT BUGS ME WHEN people complain about contemporary music being inauthentic, usually accrediting artists like Soulja Boy to the ruination of 'REAL' music. Yes, I hate that nigga just as much as the next person: hence I DON'T listen to him. (However, I have adopted a swag mechanism which I turn on every morning per his instructions.)
The reason crappy music becomes popular is because the people like it. If you personally don't like something, don't listen to it. Good music still exists. Talent is not synonymous with fame and popularity, So Soulja Boy and others like him (in all genres) haven't ruined anything. I personally believe a valuable artist is primarily good- and the rich and famous part comes second. I mean, isn't music composed of notes and not dollar signs? 
I say you should listen to the music you like and don't worry about what other people like.

Earth Day is Stupid

OF ALL THE DUMB HOLIDAYS in which we complacently smile and do whatever the heck is designated to this particular calendar event, Earth Day has to be the worst (next to Flag Day of course):

1. No Gifts.
2. You still have to go to Work/School.
3. NBC puts that green peacock in the corner
4. I dont even think theres a charlie brown special for this
5. There really is no tradition besides people fronting like they care about the environment for one day.

The only good things about today are those little Dirt and Worm cups. And those are reserved for the ingrates children.

Watch SNL on 4/24!

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR and watch Gabourey Sidibe (awesome) host SNL this week with musical guest MGMT (great!).

The show seems to be getting funnier again. And better in terms of host/ musical guest. If I could have the perfect host/musical guest combo I'd have Conan host and Lauryn Hill perform. Or My Mom/ John Coltrane's ghost. 


I can't wait to see watch this week! 

Hit Girl Kicks Ass!

JUST SAW KICK ASS in the movie theater and I really loved it.  But apparently there is a lot of controversy surrounding the tough- as- nails character that is Hit Girl. Some people are all up in arms because she's a little girl with a pretty severe potty mouth and she goes around brutally killing all the bad guys; shooting and stabbing-- in one part she cuts a dude's leg clean off.  I mean blood everywhere! --- she's awesome.


I think these people are just mad that the real hero in this movie is a Girl. She's a straight up gangsta in my opinion. And I LOVE it!


Go see Kick Ass!!

Double Down Goes to Town!

WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS "sandwich" in a new KFC ad, I said 'WTF! Shame on you KFC; the people are fat enough! You need to include bread otherwise this is just a gluttonous monstrosity!'

Then I realized bread is not a vegetable. I applaud the 'Double Down' chicken sandwich for having the balls to show us the ugly truth about fast food and for attempting to redefine what a sandwich is.

Black Nerds: A Movement in Comedy

GONE ARE THE DAYS (hopefully) in which Black comedians are limited to talking exclusively about the Black experience in terms of ghetto childhood, jabs about Church, gratuitous sex jokes, Weed stories and all things that make White people uncomfortable to laugh at. (injected with a bunch of 'nigga's)

Sometimes its funny, but still, a lot of the time Black comedy means that this foolishness is all you're gonna get. Up until now, I feel like Dave Chappelle is the only Black comedian who has been able to have a universal appeal while still maintaining integrity in his material (not shuckin' & jivin' for the sale of a demographic.) 

I'm not saying all Black comedians use contrived stereotype behavior just for laughs. I don't even take it that seriously; they're just jokes.

I'm just saying I really appreciate this new exposure for the dorky Black comedians that are actually funny-- oh yes they exist. What I'm getting at is that The Awkward Comedy Show is awesomely clever and I love it. The lineup consists of Marina Franklin, Baron Vaughn, Eric André, Hannibal Buress (who writes for SNL!) and Victor Varnado.  And all of them are great in their unconventional individuality. 

With this genre known as 'Alternative Black Comedy', they add dimension to the Black persona in media and it's simple humor; no one gets hurt and everyone can laugh. 

Check out the website and go get this DVD! 

[The Akward Comedy Show]

Finding Dakota Grey- Mixtape Review

AFTER HEARING TONY WILLIAMS' vocals on several Kanye West tracks (Roses, We Major, Drive Slow, Everything I am, etc.) I was drawn to his melodious and pleasantly raw sound. I then searched relentlessly for a solo project by Mr. Williams and was only appeased for a moment with the song 'Dreaming of Your Love' which I heard on Kanye's Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape. 


But finally, his new mixtape, Finding Dakota Grey has arrived packed with soulful, bright, Stevie Wonder- meets Donny Hathaway quality and an added splash of coolness that IS Tony Williams. 


I've been listening to this mixtape non-stop for the past few days and I am pleased with the remixes. There's 'Dreaming of Your Love' (parisian remix), 'Amazing' (official remix), and 'Nightmares' (a sort of revox of Kanye West's 'See you in My Nightmares')--and they're GREAT. To analogize it; the remixes are to the originals as Arnold Palmer's are to Iced Tea: not necessarily better, but augmented in a GOOD way.


Overall, this is a good set of tracks. You can listen to it in your car with the windows down and not feel like skipping songs. In fact, the only song I would skip is 'Linda Garota'. To me it sounds like a T-Pain leftover track. Another issue is the number of intermittent skits. Some people like those little interruptions but I think the intros and outros are enough-- anything else is just overkill.


 Top 3 tracks: Same Movie Scene (reminds me of Zapp and Roger), I'm not Mad & Double Back on This Love


I hope to hear more solo work from this soulful crooner. Maybe G.O.O.D. will finally come through with that King or the Fool album. Until then, I guess we'll have something else to anticipate from Tony Williams.


I give Finding Dakota Grey a 7.5/10

click here  to download this mixtape!

Window Seat

ERYKAH BADU'S video for her first single off of New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh dropped today. I just watched it and at first I didn't get it; I thought she was crazy... 

And that is her point exactly. This video is genius. Her message at the end applies to society's biggest problem: people so are quick to dismiss or condemn what they don't understand. We commit the convenient crime of "group thinking" because we can share the guilt, rather than stand alone.

So watch this video and find a way to stray from comfortable conforming and be an individual.   


http://www.erykahbadu.com/ watch the video here

A Chat with Just a Band!

NOT ONLY IS JUST A BAND refreshingly talented in producing their own music, designing their own graphics AND creating and directing their own videos, but they also have great personalities in real life; and I was lucky enough to interview these fine fellas exclusively for The Good BL0G!

from left to right: Jim Chuchu, Dan Muli, and Bill 'Blinky' Sellanga

The Good BL0G: Your videos, album art and other imagery complement your music well. If you weren't a DIY type of group do you think you’d have the same results? If your label ever wanted you to work with another visual artist would you do it?

Just A Band:Yes, we have thought about working with other visualists, and we're not opposed to it. At the moment, Mbithi Masya is about to solo-direct a video for us, which should be fun; he collabo'd with Jim on Ha-He and he's been helping out more and more on the visual side of things, so he really gets where we're coming from.
TGB:Where do you find inspiration for your music and your video concepts?

JAB:Inspiration comes from anywhere, if you keep your eyes open. When you're making videos, you have to think about the song, and what fits with the vibe of the song, but then you have to add some flavour, which is where our addictions to everything from movies, music, comics and anime to obsessively following directors like Michel Gondry and Quentin Tarantino. And, of course, Life Itself.

TGB: Had you guys never gotten into the music biz, what professions would you be doing?
JAB: Jim says he'd be devising some new opiate for the masses. Daniel says he'd still be traversing the desert as part of his Toureg caravan, which he still misses terribly. Bill says, "Music or Bust." 
TGB: When your band came together in 2003, did you think that Kenyan audiences would receive your particular style of music well?

JAB: We didn't know what people would think! To be honest, it was not as huge a factor as you'd have thought. Just A Band was what we all decided would be the place for us to do things we couldn't do in our day jobs/other bands, it would be the one place we'd have where imagination and humour and all that good stuff would always win out over, "Oh, you're going to totally lose the audience with this one."  

TGB: Where would your band be if the internet never existed?

JAB: We shudder to think! The internet has been so integral to the growth of this band, both in terms of reaching the kind of audience that appreciates what we do, and in the way you can easily and cheaply put stuff out, with you in control of the whole show, that if not for the net, well... let's not go there.

TGB: What (non- musical) sounds do you love?

JAB: Daniel likes the sound of breakfast meats sizzling on an oily pan. Bill likes rain. 

TGB: It’s a clear, starry Friday day night in Nairobi, what can we find the members of Just A Band doing?

JAB: We're sadly very geeky, plus we tend to do loud, clubby things for work, so we tend to think of R&R in the old school sense; chilling out in front of our computers (no TV!), probably with a movie on.
TGB: Makmende, from the ‘Ha- He’ video is such a badass, he doesn‘t have the need for a super power. But if you each could attain a superhuman ability to up your level of badassery, which ones would you choose?

JAB: Jim would be invisible, thereby enhancing his natural mystique. Bill says "Co-ordination", and Daniel would gain the power to gain other people's powers.(OK, Bill didn't say Co-ordination, that was a cheap shot. Clearly, someone's out to discredit him! Bill says Flight. :D)

TGB: Bill, why do they call you Blinky?

JAB: Bill's nickname (CLICK HERE) 

TGB: Dan, I’ve read that you are into Anime and Manga. If you could place yourself into any fantastical story, as any character, which would it be?

JAB: I'll be really cheesy about this and say that I'd like to be Luke Skywalker. 

TGB: Jim, how did you learn to use computer design programs so well? Do you ever use it to impress the ladies?

JAB: No. 

TGB: Some songs like ‘Stay’ (off of 82.) have female vocals in them. Would you ever pull a Black Eyed Peas move and adopt a Fergie into your band?

JAB: Funnily enough, a few weeks ago we saw that N*E*R*D had adopted a girl singer, so there have been a lot of jokes in the house about getting a girl in the group. We're not convinced yet, though! 

TGB: If one wanted to book your band for a gig, but we lived in a hypothetical multiverse where money doesn’t exist, what objects would you want to be paid in?

JAB: But of course: Sweetmeats and ambrosia! 

TGB: Imagine your music was a great, big pool of wet cement. What impression do you want to make?

JAB: Haha!...... Aki (friend), we can't think of an answer to this one. You win. :P

Just a Band is More than 'Just a Band'

IMAGINE POP MUSIC with thoughtful album concepts and brilliant visuals, developed by a super self- sufficient, "geeky boy band." What you get is Just a Band. A totally awesome Kenyan electro-house-funk-pop group that utilizes web- based mediums and futuristic computer graphics to complement their genre- bending music (with a splash of African flavor). 
They arrived in 2008 with their first album, Scratch to Reveal, but with the release of their newest album, 82., they have become a bona fide sensation on the world wide web and the Nairobi club scene. They can accredit their international success to their internet marketing and Youtube channel, which features their 'homemade' videos such as this one for the song "Ha-He."

The recent popularity of Just a Band has culminated in the character of Makmende, who we are introduced to in this video. The badass vigilante a la Shaft, has totally swept Twitter and #Makmende was actually the number one trending topic in Kenya last week.
This group is worth listening to because they bring something to African music, and music in general that has been missing for a while now; Authenticity.
They are unique in their sound, their imagery, concepts and humor. Which is why they are gaining momentum at rapid speeds. I'm excited to see where they take us in the future through their music and videos.

Be sure to check out both Just a Band albums on Amazon or Itunes. 

You can listen to the entire 82 album here.

(my favorite songs are Extra, Sunrise, and Uko Mbele)

    

www.just-a-band.com  

Reflection Eternal ft Bun B- Strangers

I WAS UNDER the impression that Kweli had fallen off after the Idle Warship Party Robot album had dropped. I'm glad he's proving me wrong, because his verse right here is Hot Sauce!

And I absolutely cannot deny Bun B. over the right beat (see Termanology ft. Bun B.- This is How We Rock)

De- Census- tizing the Standardized Race Assumption

DOES ANYONE ELSE experience this? You ever just go about your business one day on your way to fill out a 2010 Census and someone comes up and calls you an African- American? Immediately you are taken aback like "Woah, woah, buddy this is the 21st century. I HAVE RIGHTS!" How dare someone assume that just because you have beige to brown skin and your hair is of coarser texture that you want to be called an African- American!

Let's break this concept down. Virtually every person with a dark complexion and textured hair is categorized as African- American (at least that's what institutionalized political correctness rulebooks have taught me) so that means if I see a Trinidadian person with brown skin I should call them an African American, even though their heritage and culture is Caribean? Or a British Black person who has never even been to North or South America? And a Black person in the United States whose African lineage was severed hundreds of years ago during slavery should still be referred to as African American? Yet Charlize Theron who was born and raised in South Africa I should refer to as...?

Charlize Theron is more African than I am

I am technically an African- American; meaning I am of immediate African descent (Kenyan) but I was born in North America and maintain American citizenship. I just think Its a super primitive concept, given the migration of "Negroid" humans around the world, to still be labeling  people of our appearance as only Africans. There is race and then there is Nationality. African American is referring to nationality and yet people use it to describe the Black race.

I'm not saying that you are not worthy of being an African or whatever. This post isn't even meant to offend anyone. I don't hate people who are commonly referred to as "African- American," I just hate that the term was put into place in order to respect people's heritage when in my opinion it does the opposite. It makes no sense to group every Black person as African American, not that we shouldn't be unified, but the same way we don't call Polynesians or Inuits Asian Americans, we should not call every Black person African American. It's not endearing or appeasing anyone. All it does is sanction the idea that Black people in America (who have descended from slavery) are displaced and will never form a culture of their own.

Hanging up on "Telephone"

WHEN I CAUGHT WIND OF LADY GAGA AND BEYONCE'S official release of the nine and a half minute long video for Telephone, I got déjà vu of Michael Jackson's 14 minute Thriller mini movie. Naturally, I expected Gaga's premiere to be spectacular, as she is an innovative pop icon, much like the late Michael Jackson. When I finally watched Telephone however, I found an elongated and overly- intricate video that was disconnected to the song and just-- busy.

Peppered with Beyonce's poor acting and an undercooked plot, I was so surprised to hear rave reviews of this video on Twitter, Youtube, my Facebook, and just in conversations with people I know. This video can be considered offbeat, as most of Lady Gaga's work is; but this is not the root of my criticism. I don't think it is right to dismiss the eccentricities of this video as "Avant Garde" and just keep it moving. Just because Gaga has established herself as an innovative pop musician, who has shown us that she is not afraid to push the envelope, doesn't mean we should just give her license in every aspect of her art without question. I'm not saying this video is complete nonsense, I'm just saying that the audience should still discern what we like and dislike about it. I expect more from Lady Gaga, as this is just the beginning of her career. And as a fan, I know that this can't be the top of her game. 

WHY THIS VIDEO DIDN'T SUIT THIS PARTICULAR SONG:

The video alone was not that bad. I could see that the story is a continuation of the Paparazzi video. It was just really inconsistent with the song. Yeah, I get it. If Lady Gaga did a video in a dance club as expected; it wouldn't be creative, and that's just not Gaga. She played poker in the Pokerface video- granted that wasn't really her greatest masterpiece. My point is, I would have liked to see some art direction in this video that at least alludes to being on a dance floor and having life interrupted, or something about the annoyance of constant communication. Or something that actually correlated with the song! 

THE DEAL WITH ALL THOSE DETAILS:

•  I can infer that the whole "Told you she doesn't have a dick..." thing is a suggestion that constant media scrutiny can be imprisoning when you're famous. 
• The Madonna makeup was a nice subtle homage, and so was the Michael Jackson shuffle move as she exited the prison.
• I see that the phone is a symbol of liberation; Beyonce calls Lady Gaga before she bails her out. (sidenote: one thing that bugged me is that this was a prison setting and you can't bail a convict out of prison.)
• The phone appears again in a scene with Beyonce in a bedroom during her verse of the song. She sings "sometimes i feel like I live in grand central station..." as her body fidgets and kind of short circuits, as does Gaga's in the sandwich scene. This probably indicates the control that technology, namely the phone, has over our beings.
• There was sooo much product placement in this video. which makes sense because it was probably very costly to make and someone had to pay for it. I liked that they kind of made a joke of it by overemphasizing the brands.
• As for movie references, The Thelma and Louise nod when Honeybee and Gaga held hands in the close was cute, and the Kill Bill Pussy Wagon and the Tarantino- esque moment in the diner with Tyrese was cool too, but it just seemed out of place to me. (click here to read another blogger's interesting analysis of the metaphorical value of all the details in this video)

WHAT THE HELL AM I WATCHING?

There were several things in this video that still remain a mystery to me and made me wonder-- what the hell?

• What was with the prolonged lesbian kiss in the prison yard?
• And the fight with the brunette Gaga double? (played by Lady Gaga's actual sister)
• Why did Honeybee feed Gaga that honey bun? 
• What were those burger and mirror quotes about?
• Why was Gaga wearing the same clear outfit from the bathtub scene in Bad Romance?

MY FAVORITE PART OF THE VIDEO (THOUGH IT STILL HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SONG):

I was personally blown away by the murder in the diner. It was comical and disturbing at the same time to hear/ see the amplified croaking of all the patrons who were stuffing their faces with poisoned breakfast delights. I LOVE how it was followed by Lady Gaga and Beyonce's outburst of celebratory dance in Americana gear. It really says a lot about America's blind consumption of all things that are bad for us, be it media, food, drugs, consumer culture, politics, you name it. This scene was so clever and eye opening, and it's a message that prevails in a lot of Gaga's music.