The folks over at Billboard.com got a chance to listen to an 8 track preview of Commons upcoming album Invincible Summer (lucky basstids!) set to drop June 24th. After listening to the tracks, billboard is saying that the album is shaping up to be "electro-tinged departure from the MC's previous lyric-driven albums," and ALSO that this time around Kanye wont be contributing on this effort as he did on the last two Common albums, Be and Finding Forever. Common went on to tell billboard:
"I created this music for the summer time, it's about feeling good," Common tells Billboard.com. "This is the type of music I felt was missing from my body of work." (Click Here to Read the Rest)
I personally CAN'T WAIT to hear the new material, I think this direction would be a pleasant departure from the mellow soul vibe that Finding Forever gave. I mean I would have had to activate my side eye if he came with an album sounding just like the last 2, I absolutely LOVED Be and Finding forever (even though it was a bit moodier than Be) I think its great to see hes not scared to try something new because of his recent crossover success he's had from the last 2 albums.
Rediscovering a Cd can seem like Christmas day (say when u come across an album like Brandy's debut) but often times it can seem like a cruel joke and often makes you wonder why the album is in your collection in the first place (Dangerously In love, i see you) But luckily, its more common for me to come across an album and fall back inlove with it, or even more so than before. I played with this idea back in October with my Faith Evans post, that people seemed to enjoy, but now i decided to make it a fixture here at RhythmicWords and call it Back in RhythmicRotation and share with you what I've recently pulled out of the collection to nod my head to.
Back in 2001 when I first heard the soulful sassiness of "Heard it All Before" my interest were immediately sparked by not only the fresh sound but the sweet texture of the voice behind it and I soon became amazed by radios eagerness to play and its push behind the record (oh how those days have come and GONE). Sunshine Anderson came onto the scene sounding like nothing at the time and providing a quite pleasant and DESPERATELY needed departure from the overflow and resurgence of pop music that came at the time. Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, and Destiny's Child all came out with some of their most successful albums of their career during this time (and arguably their most POP influenced music), but all I could do was focus on the little soul engine that could.
Sunshine became a break out hit and experienced an amazing amount of success from her first single alone, WITHOUT the annoying endorsements from prominent hiphop figures that force feed us broads left and right now a days, and WITH nothing more but pure talent. "Heard it All Before became a top 20 hit on the billboard 100 and her album Your Woman debuted at number 5 on the billboard top 200 album chart and went on to sell 750, 000 copies.
Better than the neck rolling, finger snapping women's anthem that was "Heard it all before" was the overall album Your Woman. Produced entirely by former SoulLife A&R Vice President Mike City (Brandy, Dwele, Carl Thomas), the album flawless from track 1 to 18 with interludes that didnt stop the flow or interrupt the feel and vibe of the record. The production paired Sunshine's amazingly raw voice (a voice that I don't think was used at full church, soul SANGIN potential) with beautiful melodies and polished arrangements that were displayed on some favorites of mine like the smooth "Lunch or Dinner," the sweet and endearing "Being Away," and the simply beautiful "Last Night", which just so happened to feature a little known Anthony Hamilton ( I think Sunshine's voice complimented Anthony's like no other duet, he's done since, has). One of the most memorable and stand out tracks is the amazing "A Little Sunshine," if your not yet in the mood to step outside and enjoy the sun beaming down on your face and the birds a chirpin in your ear than take one listen to that track and your spring will officially start off on a good note for its the quentisential "Go out and smell the roses, then fall in love with somebody" song.
This album can definitely be put on the shelf and keep company with other albums that are considered some of the better R&B albums of the past 10 years, it was nothing but the R&B/Soul in its PUREST form, it didn't try to be anything else but and came off organic and cohesive, a true album lover's album that could put you INTO the mood to listen to it. With some albums for you to really appreciate it, or even want to listen to it, you already have to be in a certain mood or mind frame; Your Woman is an album that will have you nodding your head and tapping your foot whether you intended to listen to the moody melancholy of old Mary, the vocal supremecy of Faith or the uptempo activity of Janet, and thats an album I intend to revisit more often.
At least that's the questioned posed by Yahoo music (and me too). Mariah debuted this week at number 1 with 463,000 units sold, amazing right? yes and I'm extremely happy for her, although u guys KNOW my views on the album. Are the sales earth shattering? not quite..while this is the biggest debut in HER career, Yahoo music gives alil break down on who had bigger debuts last year, 10 in all...
Mariah Carey's E=MC2 opens at #1 with sales of 463,000--the fattest opening-week total of her career. Carey's previous top opening (404,000) was made by her most recent album, The Emancipation Of Mimi. E=MC2 also tops Jack Johnson's Sleep Through The Static for the best opening so far in 2008. Johnson debuted with sales of 375,000 in February. The last album to open with a higher sales number was Mary J. Blige's Growing Pains, which opened with sales of 629,000 in December.
Another week, another throwback...seems like times flying isnt it?...anyhoo this weeks throwie comes from The Dramatics with their song "Oceans of Thoughts and Dreams" from their 1977 album Shake it Well.
The Dramatics (formerly The Dynamics) were a soul musicvocal group, formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1962. They changed their name by 1967, when they garnered their first minor hit, "All Because of You." However, the group did not break through until their 1971 single, "Whatcha See Is Watcha Get."
This is my favorite song by the group, many of you may remember the beat but not know where to place it. Beyonce and her back up singers sampled it for the song "Girl"from their lackluster album Destiny Fulfilled (honestly yall, that album was asthought out and properly executed as an Aretha Franklin work out tape..i canhear papa knowles now sayin CAN WE GET THIS SHIT OUT THE WAY SO BEYONCE CAN DROP!!!)...Anyhoo..ENJOY and share ur thoughts!!!
The super talented Estelle is the covers of Bleu Magazine for its Spring issue and looking absolutely gorgeous. Along with being the first artist to be featured in a double cover for the mag, the Atlantic/Homegrown recording artist exclusively chit chats with contributing writer Lenox Lee about how the U.K. knows squat when it comes to promoting black artist and her comparisons to Lauryn Hill, check it out:
"I think they compare me to her (Lauryn Hill) because I'm dark-skinned and I sing and rap. But, if they're saying the music is just as great,then compare me all day because I'll be really happy about that."
The spring issue of Bleu Magazine will hit stands on April 29th, the exact SAME DAY as Estelle's album "Shine" drops...make sure you guys run to not only the music stores but news stands as well. Now peep some of the hot Photos from the shoot.
Right now you all can head on over to Amazon.com and listen to 30 second clips of every song from Estelle's upcoming album "Shine". After listening to all of the clips I CAN NOT WAIT to listen to them in their entirety, ESPECIALLY "Pretty Please" featuring Ceelo...this album is giving me a HUGE spring/summer feel...I have a feeling this will be in HEAVY rotation this summer for me, like "Introducing Joss Stone" was last year...take a listen and tell me what you guys think.
No wonder Estelle is RhythmicWords artist of the month YOU NEED TO KNOW for April, shes amazing... Estelle's album "Shine" hits stores on the 29th!!
I love Mary and I love the song (even tho its probably my least fav from the album)But I must say that I LIKE the video...don't love it, but I don't hate it either (this is the stan talking btw..MARY CAN DO NO WRONG!). The video is nothing to piss the sheets about and I think its far from something worth waiting MONTHS for (after all, the album did drop in DECEMBER and this is only her SECOND video).
Im dying to see what the video for "Work that" looks like, since it was the original second single and even had a video shot for it before the label decided to do dumb shit like shelve that idea, ask fans for their opinion and then completely ignore us (how FAR down was "stay down" on that list of songs voted to be a second single fellow fans?)...For whatever reasons the label decided to roll with "Stay Down" as the second single and slap jacked a video together because of Marys busy concert schedule. They threw her ass infront of a green screen, got some clips from An Inconvenient Truth and told Hype to MAKE IT WORK!...love her to DEATH but imma need Mary to assess her situation
btw...Mary can rock the HELL out of a fur cant she? Heffa will rock an endangered african lion cub shawl with matching mittens and think nothing of it lmao.
Once again, my girl Mo has saved me..and I thank u puddin snack! without you Rhythmicwords would probably be as relavent as Lil' Mama's music.
Anyhoo...this weeks throwie thursday comes from Erma Franklin, sister of another more well known Franklin, singing the ORIGINAL version of "Piece of my Heart"...Many of you know this as a Janis Joplin song, when in all actuality hers was just a remake with a different arrangement, not to take away from Janis' version (because I absolutely adore it) but CLEARLY Erma upped the soul factor.
Erma was born in Shelby, Mississippi, but moved several times during her childhood before settling in Detroit, Michigan. Her mother Barbara (Erma's middle name, 'Vernice', was also her mother's middle name), who was a gospel singer, left the family when she, her two sisters, and her brother were young children. Erma and her sisters, Aretha and Carolyn, sang at their father, Reverend C. L. Franklin's, Detroit-area Baptist church.
Its no secret that Mariah has always been one to embrace the extremes of musical genres when it comes to her albums, whether it was pop on her '94 album Music box or with hip hop on her 1998 album Rainbow. Carey has always been capable of honing in on one specific genre moderately well, but it hasn't always been whats best for her, simply being able to do something isn't reason enough to do it. Mariah has shined when she combines all of the genres shes dabbled in through out her career into 1 cohesive album that hits on all levels, much like she did with, arguably one of her best albums, 1998's Butterfly and most recently with 05's Emancipation of Mimi. Its been apparent that since '95s Daydream (when Mariah really started broadening her musical horizon) that with more options musically came more chances for confusion and stumbles. One amazing album always seemed to be followed by a less than stellar or down right horrible effort. After dabbling with a more urban sound on Daydream and the remixes stemmed from, she upped the ante and came with a brilliant and well balanced mixture of the mainstream safe sound she was known for and the hiphop spice that Daydream merely played with and it WORKED on 1998's Butterfly. After Butterfly came Rainbow, which seemed to take all the good aspects of Butterfly and ran them into the GROUND. Groovy urban head nodding jams turned into bass bumping headache inducing annoyances that made NO SENSE coming from Mariah.... If it ain't broke, add a bunch of new shit to it and UPGRADE IT! EMBELLISH EMBELLISH EMBELLISH! seems to be the motto of Mariah Carey, I'm sure that's the drag queen in her coming out but damn, just because a certain something works once doesn't mean you beat us over the head with it for the second time around, someone read the definition of overkill to this woman please!
This brings me to E=Mc2!!! Mariahs 11th studio album that comes 3 years after THE comeback album to end all comeback albums, 3 time Grammy award winning, 6 million copy selling The Emancipation of Mimi. Much like the fate Rainbow suffered, Mc2 is nothing more than the overkill and sad attempts of what was successful from its predecessor. "We Belong Together" was the break out hit from Emancipation, so I'm going to give you 1 guess at what a few tracks from this album resembles... you've got it! The essence of "We Belong Together" can be heard in the sombre bids "I Stay In Love," "Love Story," and "Last Kiss". In all defense, Jermaine Dupri produced all of these tracks, with the exception of "I Stay In love" (that was produced by Brian "1 trick pony" Michael-Cox). Jermaine also did We Belong Together and I suppose its only right these songs all leave the same taste in your mouth, when you can just hear Mariah in the studio saying "DO WHAT YOU DID BEFORE JERMAINE! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!..BUT YANNO..EMBELLISH!!!" even "Cruise Control" jogs the mind of a lazier and slightly unattractive version of "Shake it Off."
The few saving graces on the album come from the tracks that are clearly out of place. The smart and sassy "Im That Chick", produced by Stargate (Beyonce, Neyo,Chrisbrown) gives a 70's soul/dance feel and makes you wonder why Mariah isn't doing more stuff like this, it was clear with "Stay the Night" from the emancipation that this road is one that needs to be tread more often. It allows Mariah to be playful, fun, coy and sassy without coming off as a 30 something akwardly trying to recapture her tweens as she does way too often.
The Swizz Beatz produced "O.O.C." (Out of Control) is a hypnotic and mellow summer track that would have been a nice intermission from vocal heavy tracks, if yanno... Mariah would have put any on the album, while "I'll be loving you Long Time" shines merely from the Debarge track that it samples.
And while I hate to admit it, "Migrate" has grown on me through leaps and bounds. Are the lyrics "Speed dial connecting me to Rae-Rae, Click in Shawntae and Mae-Mae" silly? yes, but are they anymore profound than "Them Chickens is ash and I'm lotion" from "Its like that"? no. Once I heard the cd quality of the song on a sound system, like intended, I began to appreciate it for what it was, A mindless club banger.
As nice as it would be to say these tracks save the album; cuts like "Side effects" featuring Young Jeezy cant help but make you want to slap Mariah upside her head and break all of her heels. The song wouldn't be tolerable in the hands of an artist with the lowest of expectations, let alone a legend like Mariah thats capable of MUCH MUCH better, and sadly enough that can be said for majority of this entire album. Even though "Side effects" deals with personal issues that surrounded her marriage to Tommy Matolla, all potential retrospective artistry is killed by the unfitting production (nobodys tryna ghost ride the whip while listening to how Tommy use to Ike your ass Mariah...and I wont even get into how random the AH HA'S and other pointless adlibs from Young Jeezy further hender the track). If Emancipation made her the down chick in touch with the urban community than E=Mc2 makes her the slutty chick that gives it up in the restroom at house parties.
Dont get me wrong, PLEASE DONT, I consider myself a HUGE Mariah Carey fan, owning every album from her debut to The Emancipation and everything inbetween, but even this album has me scratching my head and asking myself, Did I miss something? the transition from her last album to this one is non existent. This effort would have been much more convincing if it came BEFORE the emancipation during a time she was still trying to find her footing after 2 commercial failures.
While many refer to her as Mariah "Black for the remix" Carey, I like to think of her as Mariah "dumb for the airplay" Carey. Majority of this album will be eaten up by radio and the boppers, snappers and teens that it caters to, the same people that probably don't even remember a Mariah pre Rainbow, or care for a Mariah DURING Glitter ... and that's the sad part. Growth of an artist usually captures a brand new audience without alienating those that have helped you get to where you are and those that have stuck with you during periods that you like to forget about yourself, or simply pass off as soundtracks (bullshit). Butterfly, Emancipation and Daydream are praised as fan and critic favorites for balancing all that Mariah is capable of effortlessly and Proving that, with her magnitude of talent, she IS capable of being a little bit of everything to everyone, now can someone please tap her on the shoulder and let her know that for me...
Good ISN'T good when BETTER is expected and for that.. I give E=Mc2 a D+ In Stores Now!!!!!!!!
Agree with me? let me know! if u absolutely disagree and think im on something? let me kno that too! hit up the comment section and share!!!!...remember, sharing is caring!
Just when Mariah Carey makes me want to throw her to the wolves, she reminds me why I love her so, damn her. Mimi performed on Idol Gives Back Tuesday night and like everyone else I missed it I crossed my fingers and prayed she wouldnt be getting her eagle on during the performance, to one of her negroidian songs from the new album, for a special about starving babies in Africa (with Mariah, you NEVER KNOW). But the mimi pulled through and performed one of my favorite songs "Fly like a Bird" from the Emancipation of Mimi. The performance was the best she's done since well...the last time she performed "Fly like a Bird", which was at the 07 grammy awards..check it out
the review WILL be up Monday morning...so come on back now, ya hear??
For now at least...HEY! I'm a broke college student, I can only afford to buy GOOD things at the moment...with that said, the Mariah review will be up next week (or whenever I'm able to listen to it without wanting to wear a veil, dark sunglasses and cry uncontrollably)
If you look back at an older post you'll see this isnt the first time ive shared my thoughts on this fellow and his "talent". I said it once, i'll say it again...this man is a waste of a good bank account. Turns out the beat that Usher paid hundred of thousands of dollars for could have been made for FREE on a computer program that im sure cost less than $50. Watch the video as this random fellow shows you what Polow did to bamboozle Ushers dumb ass by basically duplicating the beat in his own bedroom...
This is so good it MUST be fattening...Now in a perfect world this would spell the end of Polows career, but his phone is probably ringing off the hook with offers because of it smh. Im sure he's busy roaming fruity loops for beats to put down for Ciaras first single or some shit
The wonderful people over at BLEU Magazine have recently relaunched TheBleuMag.com and wants to invite everyone over to check it out. Its a pretty snazzy layout, you guys do yourselves a favor and check it out...to add the cherry on the sundae, the new page is letting you listen to a High Quality version of "Migrate" by Mariah Carey. Sounds like the real thing, unlike the high quality Radio Rip thats been going around.
The various sections of www.TheBleuMag.com will highlight the best of the best in its field. The fashion department prides itself in showcasing exclusive and edgy fashion spreads that will leave you wanting to catch a flight to the fashion capital of the world. The Entertainment section is where you will get your "first sneak peek" at what tomorrow will be a #1 song, #1 album or that breakthrough artist in the country. With the BLEU TV Spotlight we will ensure to get you all the in-your-face-action at all the hottest events around the country, be it political, fashion, entertainment and or humanitarian.
BLEU Radio is the place for you to tune in and feel right at home, with live talk shows, up-to-date playlists and the very latest in news.
Along with that, Bleu Magazine has recently enlisted the services of College Hill's Ray Cunningham. He will have a weekly blog entitled "Tell it Ray Ray!: Why Just Have Hollywood when I can have NY too...Soon the World!" that will feature entertainment news, exclusive one-on-one interviews, gossip, Internet trends and politics among other things on. Thats all good and sassy but emmm wha I gotta do to get some employment love!??!?! Throw a nigga some music review opportunities....geesh! lol
Cant wait until the 15th to hear the new Mariah album? head on over to Amazon.com and listen to 30 second clips of each track from the album. Since these are only previews im not going to give a review or even a real opinion, that would be unfair, and after all, I want to listen to the all the songs in their entirety before i say I don't like them!..but anyhoo... im just gonna say that so far im digging "O.O.C", "I'll be loving you long time", and ofcourse "Im that Chick" ...which tracks sparked your interest? which songs turned your stomach? coughsideeffectscough... let me know in the comments!
Haven't seen Madonnas new video? check it out
I must say that i actually really like it, energetic and fun..Madonna looks amazing and definitely on the creative side, unlike the song, I love how she breaks it down at the end..She is GETTIN it for 50 isnt she? A visual that DEFINITELY surpasses the song (and yes, i purposely ignored Justin Timberlake...i mean...shouldnt we all?)
This weeks Throwie thursday comes from the Grammy award winning group The Fifth Dimension. Their 1967 hit "Up up and Away" became a break out hit for the Pop group, peeking at number 7 on the pop charts and earning them 4 grammys at the 1968 ceremony, including both Record and Song of the year. I absolutely adore this song and it was one of the first songs I heard from the group and it peeked my interest, then of course I listened to their 1969 number 1 hit "Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine in" and it was a wrap. Take a look at the group perform "Up up and away" and just appreciate the brilliance of the horns and the strings..ugh
With all this good news going around you just KNOW Mariah is probably somewhere downing a bottle of champagne and wearing hello kitty pajamas while she greases Da Brats scalp...
As expected, Mariah Carey moves past Elvis Presley and into sole possession of second place for most No. 1s in the rock era, as "Touch My Body" soars 15-1 on the Billboard Hot 100 to become her 18th chart-topper. With her album "E=MC2" yet to hit retail, Carey might equal the Beatles' record of 20 No. 1s before her set runs its course.
Presley will also be nudged from his standing as the artist with the most top 10s in the rock era, as Madonna surpasses him with her 37th top 10, "4 Minutes." The track, which features Justin Timberlake, clocks a 68-3 jump. Previous to the establishment of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958, the industry standard chart was the Best Sellers in Stores tally, where Presley scored his first 12 top 10s.
Billboard.com
Well congrats to both of the ladies for accomplishing such an amazing milestone in both of their careers...how ironic is it that its with both of their weakest songs to date? but anyhoo, being a big fan of Mariah and a casual one of Madges im happy for both of them regardless, even tho this is nothing more than validation for Mariah to continue to do dumb shit when it comes to her career, by the next album my guess is that her lipgloss will be poppin! Madonna on the other hand gives me the vibe that she could give a shit regardless.
This is not a blog SPECIFICALLY about entertainment, or about music, or to focus on what type of glue beyonce is currently using to hold down her lacefronts...this is a blog for ME to post what I wish, and to give MY undesired 2 cents..can u get with it? great!!!, if not...then suck it *shrugs*
Wanna tell me something u think i should talk about? something u wanna share with me? or just wanna show alil love...I LOVE love so give me all u got...get at me!
The folks over at Billboard.com got a chance to listen to an 8 track preview of Commons upcoming album Invincible Summer (lucky basstids!) set to drop June 24th. After listening to the tracks, billboard is saying that the album is shaping up to be "electro-tinged departure from the MC's previous lyric-driven albums," and ALSO that this time around Kanye wont be contributing on this effort as he did on the last two Common albums, Be and Finding Forever. Common went on to tell billboard:
