mixtape maestro (2.0)

Coming off what many considered 2009’s top R&B release (Love Vs. Money), it’s hard not to be left a little underwhelmed by “Love King”, the first single and title track to The-Dream’s next (and possibly last) album.

Built atop a floaty, snap-laden midtempo groove perked with candied piano plinks and punctuating “Ey”’s, the song is nothing more than a cut-and-paste patchwork of the singer/ songwriter/ producer/ “ey”-er’s usual bag o’ musical quirks, this time tied together by a thin concept (The-Dream has tons and tons of chicks at his beck and call) that’s in dire need of much stronger goofball lyricism than “Got girls with weaves/…Girls without it” and “Got girls on my Sprint/ My AT&T/ Got girls on T-Mobile/ Metro if it’s local”.

Yeah, it’s “Shawty Is The Shit”-meets-”Rockin’ That Thing” soundbed is perfect riding-to material, but if The-Dream really wants to finally nab some Grammy nods this time around (we, the people, can only endure so many Twitter rants), he’s going to have to conclude his solo album trilogy on the high note it demands with far better offerings than watered-down regurgitations from the same stylistic template.

Love King drops in May.

DL: “Love King” (alt)

If it’s any consolation though Dream, we’re definitely digging you’re rap verse on this all-star “How Low (Remix)”:

BONUS DL: Ludacris featuring Rick Ross, Twista, The-Dream, Ciara & Pitbull “How Low (Remix)” (alt)

Uncategorized ciara, love king, ludacris, pitbull, posse cut, R&B, rick ross, southern rap, the-dream, twista

So…did Clipse think that the only reason why folks weren’t all that madly in love over their ill-fitting feel-good summer jam “I’m Good’ was because of their initial lyrical contribution, the video, and the lack of guest stars?

Or that re-releasing the same damn single with the same damn beat and Pharrell-featured hook, but a brand new video clip, a so-so Rick Ross cameo and entirely different lyrics would change people’s minds about the record?

Beyond the nice-to-know FYI that as far as drug dealer code words for cocaine go, Taylor Swift is the “new” Christina Aguilera, the point of giving us an “Im Good 2.0″ that’s just as needless as the original has us perplexed. Why can’t they just do like 50 Cent did when each one of his fifty or so Before I Self Destruct lead singles failed to click with audiences: act like “I”m Good” never happened, and move on with the release of a totally new single?

Uncategorized clipse, pharrell, remix, rick ross, til the casket drops

Though Chrisette Michele is signed to Def Jam, her distinctive jazzy singing style and penchant for recording the types of R&B/ soul records usually found in the vinyl bins made her more of an instant hit with the adult R&B crowd. One critically-acclaimed, Gold-selling debut album (and Grammy win) later, the twenty-five year old is yearning to act more her age, deciding on a more “upbeat and youthful” vibe for the next project.

Thankfully, the first taste of this venture, current single “Epiphany” (from her May-set album of the same name), doesn’t see her awkwardly committing to some disastrous female R&B version of “Stanky Legg”, but teaming up with hit songwriter Ne-Yo for a track that achieves it’s contemporary goals without forcing her to trade away her much-appreciated classiness.

As it’s piano-knocking groove lays out a hypnotizing, midtempo melody, Michelle offers a peak inside an increasingly lop-sided romance. After spending too many nights at home anticipating a ring that never arrives, while waiting on a boyfriend who doesn’t make his way through the door until the sun is peeking over the horizon, Chris has decided she’s had it up to here with him and his heartbreaking ways.

“So I think I’m just about over being your girlfriend/ I’m leaving,” she informs him, matter-of-factly. And that’s that. No revenge-seeking plots of busting up his car or crazed tantrums filled with cuss words and flung dishes. She just casually packs up her belongings, greets him with a smile and a kiss after his return from another one of those mysterious all-nighters (“like nothing ever happened”) and then, without any deviation from her ever-pleasant disposition, breaks off the bad news.

How refreshing to hear a female R&B break-up song delivered without the typical daytime-TV-inspired theatrics. Fingers crossed that it succeeds in establishing her with the young’un set.

Watch the video below, then peep the remix, featuring Rick Ross and Juelz Santana begging for a second chance, afterward.

DL: “Epiphany (Remix)” (alt)

Uncategorized chrisette michelle, grown folks R&B, juelz santana, ne-yo, remix, rick ross

A larger-than-life rap n’ rock hybrid that seemed to be fully aware of it’s future ubiquity from the get-go, Kevin Rudolf’s “Let It Rock” cemented itself in the brains of millions with the utmost ease; thanks to it’s for-the-arenas fist-pumping air, head-turning Weezy grab and ginormous hooks (not to mention lyrics that apparently drew inspiration from Judas’ betrayal), the track turned the liner-note credit (his guitar skills have earned him spots on joints from Timbaland, Nelly Furtado and David Banner) into a major (at least, for the moment) pop star almost overnight.

So what’s next for the insta-sensation? How about a smart reprisal of what made him so big in the first place.

Like “Rock”, follow-up single “Welcome To The World” is another big, dumb and loud energizer fueled by heavy guitar and squelchy synths that doesn’t really register as coming from a human as it does a computer program based on “What the kids should like” focus group-ed data. Despite that un-attractive description, though, the song soars as a highly enjoyable guilty pleasure for the road.

“World”’s lyrics may revolve around a woman’s crash down back to Earth after experiencing her fifteen minutes of fame (“So no more time spent/ And no more free shit/ In fact this free ride has reached it’s destination”), but that dour theme never ekes it’s way into the track’s musical display, a celebratory stomp that damn near orders the toes to start tapping. Pair that with the “rock & roll lifestyle” hurrah of featured guest Rick Ross (“I only came to party tonight/ New chicks, get my drinks up/ Every weekend we can link up”) and Rudolf sounds like he’s got another smash on his hands.

Listen to the album version below, then snatch up an alternate take that replaces “The Bawse” with Kid Cudi afterward.

DL: “Welcome To The World (with Kid Cudi)” (alt)

Uncategorized kevin rudolf, kid cudi, lil' wayne, rick ross, rock-rap

First there was “Maybach Music”, then “Mafia Music”…now “Cigar Music”? Whatever Ricky. We’ll bypass the snaps on song title laziness this time, if only because with this latest theme-tagged entry, we’re getting something other than the “‘Continue To Go Back-And-Forth With Fiddy In An Increasingly Dumb Rap Beef‘ Music” that’s dominated the blog world in recent days.

Unfortunately we’re also quickly reminded with “Cigar Music (I Do It)”, the latest “preview” from his forthcoming Deeper Than Rap, that outside of that on-going rivalry, Officer Ricky (sorry, but it is funny) rarely has anything interesting to say.

To Ross’ credit, the Bink-produced “Cigar Music” (like recent leak “Magnificent”) does sound good: That orchestral soul sample loop it relies on bears a nice cinematic feel and the measured flow he attaches to it is diggable. But the backing production demands something more on a emotionally revealing “Song Cry”-level, not Reason No. 523 why Rick is the “BAUSE”, more yucky visuals of the big-bellied one laying the pipe or a forgettable R&B hook dropped by some anonymous male singer.

This would’ve been the ideal track for him to get Deeper Than (His Usual) Rap and maybe base a song on how you can’t trust baby mamas or give us some meaty lyrics about life as a correctional officer. Instead we get the same ol’, same ol’. “I’m The Down South Nas!”? Not exactly Rick, but we’ll still give this one a couple love spins for the smooth…wait for it…’Background Music’ it is.

DL: “Cigar Music (I Do It)” (alt)

Uncategorized bink, rick ross, soul sample, southern rap