What's up? Since you're here, I'm gonna go ahead and assume you know me and skip introductions. I've been claiming that I'll get a blog up for quite some time and it has finally happened. I hope you find what brought you here, or something you like. Be sure to leave feedback or whatever, because I'm self conscious. Remember though, you're welcome to disagree with my opinions and we can talk about it, but you gotta respect 'em, and I'll do the same with yours. They're opinions, mine are based on my experiences... you didn't have those. So, now that I've gotten all of that out of the way, take a look, take a read, leave a comment.
*Disclaimer: Any of the posts you see here do not reflect the opinions of anyone but the author unless otherwise noted.
I have to say this because my job makes me. Assuming, you know, that I'm employed.
I know, it's been a minute, and I'm sorry. Definitely got a little behind on the writing, but I'm working on that... Anyway, got some new singles for y'all since that's the easiest thing for me to get back in the groove. We'll call it the fall season kick off
Clique - Kanye West ft. Big Sean & Jay-Z
My favorite song of the minute. The beats dope and it puts me in a good mood. Hit Boy did his thing on this, and the hook is catchy as hell. I mean, I think my friends are cool, so ain't nobody fuckin' with my clique *Big Sean voice* either.
Cashed Out - Lil' Wayne
If you remember that "Mixtape Wayne" doesn't rap about shit and just go with it for the word play? Pssh... This track fire. Caught myself laughing at a punchline and missing the next punchline more than once. Obviously not the most complex bars, but who needs that all the time? And it's over the Cashin' Out beat, so even if you don't like the bars, you can just listen to the track and do the money dance I guess.
Pain - Pusha T ft. Future
"Witchdoctor Gospel Flow" - Pusha T. That's what he called it over Twitter and it's dope. Well named. I'm not big fan of Future, but he adds the right amount of darkness to this Kanye West beat. Pusha with the good visual bars - "Mama screamin' like Mahalia" (Jackson, the queen of gospel) and other cocaine based flows. Really dark tales of coke stories. It's what Pusha does well, and this is an exhibition of that.
Refill - Elle Varner
The strings from the beginning of the song are what got me initially. But the story of the song is good (go ahead and listen to it yourself, that's why I put the link there) and the hook, again is catchy. I just like it and put it on repeat occasionally, so I put it here.
Young Jeezy - Get Right
Just heard this for the first time today. Kinda feels like something in the vein of "Go Crazy". Put it on at your party and watch the dope boys go crazy, to quote an earlier Jeezy song. Hopefully this means an album is coming soon. Jeezy got them crazy motivational flows. Actually, all I really need from Jeezy is an Intro and few songs like this one.
More stuff I've heard that you need to place in your stereo or headphones and play at a high volume, preferably in a residential neighborhood
As Long As You Love Me - Justin Bieber ft. Big Sean
If you haven't been beat over the head with this song already by the radio (I don't listen to radio much, so I don't know)... well, just listen to it. Sean snaps, lyrics are decent and easy. And your kids/nieces/nephews will love you.
Till I Die - Chris Brown ft. Wiz Khalifa and Big Sean
Off the Fortune album, this song dropped awhile ago as a single. It feels like a top down type song. So it gets here.
Mannnnnnnn.... If you didn't see the B.E.T. Awards opening, then you missed an epic live performance of Mercy. Then Kanye ripped off some fire acappella... His verse from this song, which Pusha tweeted about a week ago. Off the Cruel Summer tape coming August 7. Best way to describe this is the text I received after putting someone up on it: "Thank you for finding me my new favorite song of the summer". Yea, that dope.
Some of the things I've either been listening to/coming out soon or to add to your playlist... Enjoy
First, albums that I've been put on or listened to in the past few weeks, shoutout to everybody who suggested something or listened to me chat/talk/text about it.
A Strange Arrangement - Mayer Hawthorne
Until like the last 3 weeks I'd never heard of this guy, then all of a sudden everyone's saying "You've never heard of Mayer Hawthorne?" No, I hadn't. I get on the spotify and find this dude and the first thought is "Did I get the right guy?" Google confirmed pretty much that I had and, honestly, it's something that I thought I would hear my mom or aunts call oldies. I really like it and get the appeal. Lots of really simple love songs with older melodies. Everyone recommended the A Strange Arrangement album, so yea, I do too, mostly because a lot of the songs remind me of cleaning up on weekend mornings to songs like this...
Or this...
Except, you know, it's a guy.
Express Yourself - Diplo
After hearing the song from the commercial (don't remember which one and I'm too lazy to look it up) and all of the beats he's done for hip-hop/r&b artists (Wale's Slight Work, Chris Brown's Look At Me Now) I finally got around to listening to a Diplo project. I mean, it's Diplo (if you're on twitter, follow him, he's funny as shit for a music guy), so the beats are dope and the drops are sick. Your local party DJ probably has remixed the single (can it be a single if it's an EP?) already and if they haven't, they will soon. The whole EP a time or two through (6 songs, about 25 minutes) will push you through that workout too.
The "Express Yourself" video
Triple F Life: Fans, Friends and Family - Waka Flocka Flame
I had to listen to it because everyone is on it. Seriously, I got through the first seven songs and had to turn it off because, well, Flocka didn't give me any reason to change my mind about him. Some of the beats are dope and the features save it, for me at least. My opinion. Not up for debate, I don't care. But really, the constant yells of "Flocka" "Brrrriiiiiiicccccckkk Squuuuuaaaaadddd" "Flex" "Riverdale" and various gun sound ad-libs kinda keep me up at night. I still haven't heard a Waka Flocka song where I thought, "you know, that Flocka... he spit on that". Nope. Not once. I would have to say that if I describe 2 Chainz (and I really like 2 Chainz, aka Tity Boy, aka Tity 2 Necklace, aka 2 Christ the Gawd) as rap for the kids in class who don't read out loud well, then Flocka would be the kid with Tourette's and no fucks to give. And doesn't he look like Kel in Good Burger?
(Obviously, I wasn't the first to think it). Not that it has anything to do with the album, which I don't like much except for the features, but hey it's funny. And it's my opinion, so check it out for yourself.
"Round of Applause" ft. Drake - one of the songs saved by a feature. Straight strip club music. Don't play it for your daughter... Or son for that matter.
Maybach Music Group Presents: Self Made Vol. 2
"What is this? Maybach Music? I like this Maybach Music. Sweet!" I think I have a crush on the girl who says that, sight unseen. And the "MMMMMAYBACH MUSIC" drop in every song brings a smile to my face. After last summer's Self Made Vol. 1 brought tons of summer anthems like Ima Boss, 600 Benz and Tupac Back, I expected Self Made 2 to have that fire. I was a little disappointed, but there are a lot of bangers nonetheless. My favorites: Power Circle - an 8 minute welcome to the album that has everyone on the label getting off and a Kendrick Lamar feature, "This Thing of Ours" by Omarion, Wale, Ross and Nas is also fire. All Birds is the first song on which I've liked French Montana and he makes a few songs on the album for real. Anyway, check that Power Circle link, some of these dudes gas on that track. "Tell my enemies 'Fuck 'em', they know already but fuck 'em. Tell em again with a middle finger and chuckle" is probably my second favorite line(s) of the song, other than Wale's part, which, if I still had a tape deck, would get the rewind button broken.
If you got something for me, hit me up and let me know. It's about the discovery for me.
Are Monday's really that damn bad? I mean, it's really all people talk about, all day Monday! A particular day of the week isn't the source of your problems, just saying... Because if it wasn't Monday, it would be Tuesday. If it wasn't Tuesday it would be Wednesday. If it wasn't Wednesday, you would still complain, anyway. (I hope you read that in 2 Chainz voice, as I intended). But yea, like I said before, "great weeks don't start without great Mondays". So get out there and be great.
First, since I'm all about confessing where I was wrong, things from game one I was wrong about:
The winner, duhhh. Still, another great game that came down to the end because of the will of one Kevin Durant. Kind never gives up and won't let his team
How the game would end, with Harden making a play... Harden wasn't in at the end so there's that.
Now, for where I was right (thankfully, a much longer list)
James Harden. Though he wasn't in at the end of the game, he had a big impact to keep the young cats in it, going for 21.
DWade. Did a better job of scoring - 24 points on 20 shots - than is 19 on 19 from G1.
KD, still a beast, but if you have seen the Thunder play at all over the past 3 seasons, you knew that. He's averaging 16.5 points in the 4th quarter so far in the finals. Who does that?
Game 3 - Sunday. I don't even want to try to predict what will happen, except that the Miami fans won't show up till halfway through the first quarter and one team will already be up by 8.
Shit, get out there and get better today. Life may be pretty good, but something could always be better, it could be taking that extra time to read to your kid, or not putting off that project till Monday (My improvement will be making sure I get in a full three hours of studying for this exam. It's really too hot to sit at home and stare at a computer, which I've already done for work this week). But still, I'm convinced when you do something good, someone else gets inspired. So improve something and inspire someone
#HighlyAnticipated music from MMG - new single from Self Made 2. Album dropping June 26. If the beat don't move you, the lyrics will (Honestly, I posted this before I even finished listening to the song).
