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!