One In A Million...

It feels like it's been a lifetime since I've been on any of my blogspots (the other one is here - clickie). I've just been SO busy, it's quite ridiculously and really obnoxiously unreal. I'm never sleep. Always awake. Always out and about. Always always. Always.

So now I'm on my lunchbreak at work. Figured I get a blog up and it dawns on me....today is Aaliyah's 8th year anniversary of her death. I know yall see her to the right of this blog. She was one of my favorite artists of the 90s in whole because I related to EACH song in her "One In a Million" album and also because she was one of the best dancers this side of Debbie Allen. Her style was also pretty unmatched and of course I copied (hence the Wrap I rocked non-stop for YEARS, side-swooped over the (right) eye included) I definitely learned a lot from her (dance-wise, style wise).

So without further adieu, I present all of my favorite videos from Aaliyah. Enjoy. Here we go:



Are You That Somebody



My cousin and I learned this dance fast as it came out. I STILL remember it. Anytime I'm bumping this song in the speakers of my car, I act out the hand parts of the dance moves lol

One In A Million



I LOVE this song. To this day. It's just got a really serene feel to it....and doesnt everyone have that "one in a million"? Maybe that'll be a blog for me...hmmm.....

4 Page Letter



This is one of my favorite songs of all time. Has anyone written their crush or the person they are dating a letter to tell them they want "more"? *whispers* I have lol (I told yall I relate to the ENTIRE "One In A Million" album) lol. Oh yea...I know this entire dance too :)


Hot Like Fire



Back when Missy, Timbaland, and (Magoo) was putting music on the map! (Okay, 86 Magoo,lol...but you get the point)


Rock The Boat



The video that Aaliyah was doing just before she was killed. I swear I lost my ever-lovin' mind when she passed. I made it a point to learn this dance. And I did. Of course.

Back and Forth



I think this was the first video I saw from Aaliyah. I LOVED it! And the "Back and Forth" became what was Ciara's "1,2 Step". She was the first....for Ciara and others. #fact - I had a (very minor and short-lived) tomboy era going on with me a little after this video. Wearing "boy clothes" was the style back then though. My sister was THEE tomboy. Ask her to recall though and she'd act like she didnt know what you were talking about lol

At Your Best (You Are Lov) Remix w/RKelly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3twe0D3o5P4

I'm pretty upset that the coding is embedded for this video on YouTube. When I get some time, I'll look to another video site for it. But this link will have to do til then.

Anyway...I LOVE this song! And the video was hot too, no? RKelly's presence nonwithstanding, this song goes hard. Much like One in a Million, you can just relax and reminisce with this song. Loves it!

If Your Girl Only Knew



One of my favorite parts of this video was the eye color changes. It's no surprise that I can relate to the song either. (Remember what I said about the album itself? Yes this is on One In A Million for those that are unsure) lol


The One I Gave My Heart To



Love this song. Somehow the video version is a little different from the album version but I love both just the same. For me, the symbolism behind the video is...she's looking in the mirror singing the lyrics as if to say, "how could he hurt me like this? Is it ME--something wrong with ME?!" I feel like that's a natural reaction with a really deep heartbreak.


Try Again




Another video I learned from beginning to end. I also loved her hair color. Just never duplicated. At the time,I was scared of coloring my hair. In 2005, I was no longer "scared" and put highlighted streaks in...and from that experience, I learned...no more color! lol



Those are my favorite Aaliyah videos. Feel free to add yours, plus a little story as to why it's yours :)

Representative Pieces....

Haven't written in a while. Haven't penned a poem in months. I can say that Life hit, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I've had a LOT to say and even tried to write a piece over a week ago.....all to no avail.

There's too much in my head to sort through.

Too many emotions going all over the place, making me feel very uncomfortable and dare I say it....insecure.

I am never insecure. Like never ever. This is new.

And this is the song of my life right now.

Kindred - Far Away




And because I actually feel like screaming (but won't), this song also reigns right now:

Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson- Scream



Next post will be better.....

Death of a Legend: That Mean Lean

Okay. I'm back in my "Michael Jackson trance" that I've been in since his passing exactly a week ago. I just viewed one of my favorite videos from him, "Smooth Criminal" and thought I'd post it.......and tell a little story too.

Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal


This was one of my favorite songs back in the day. The video is awesome and oh how Mike leeeeaaaaans, right?

Childhood memory: I remember back in the day how my little brother and I would watch Michael's videos religiously. You see, our dad has a VHS of nothing but Michael Jackson videos (He might have recorded it from a special shown on TV at the time, Idk) and since my brother and I were heavily exposed to Michael Jackson, we loved this VHS (when I'm done with this blog, I may call dad up and ask him to look for that vhs for me so I can see it again possibly over the weekend).

Whenever the tape got to the "Smooth Criminal" video, I remember my brother and I would both be in our shoes or stocking feet trying to duplicate. My brother was always good with impersonating Mike's moves. Me? Notsomuch. But I tried. (I got better once I got into dance though, but like everyone else, I'm no Mike duplicate).That lean though? I definitely tried. Without question. I nearly busted my head trying to do this lean, lol. My brother actually did bust his head. Good times.

Let's focus on that lean again, shall we?




As I got older, watching the video, I concluded that this was just a mark of camera work at its finest. The rules of gravity don't allow for a 50-degree lean, period. But then he did it in concert and I learned that it's in his shoes. There's something going on with the soles of his shoes or something. Either way, it's DOPE! (I still wanna learn this move, though lol).

One of my favorite parts of the video? Around the 7:47 mark where the little boy is doing the moves. Isn't he adorable?

Another thing I love about this video is how it easily distracts you from the lyrics as well as what's really going on in the video. The song is talking about a "smooth criminal" who comes and attacks a woman named "Annie" and just like any "smooth criminal", he leaves unscathed, yet "Annie" is suffering ("he left the bloodstains on the carpet"..."it was her doom"). However in the video, Michael comes onto the scene and even though people are highly suspicious of him and he causes a ruckus, he's dancing with them (remniscent of the "Bad", "Remember the Time" and "Beat It" videos)........but in the end, it turns out HE was the "Smooth Criminal" all along. Smooth, eh? Smooth indeed :). Because the dancing and the other elements of the video are so entertaining, I doubt people are even thinking about all of this. Of course I did though lol.

It was my intention to post just ONE blog of my favorite Michael Jackson videos and title the blog, "Death of a Legend: The Videos" or something like that. But then as I compiled my list, I noticed that there were entirely too many videos I wanted to include, each with a small personal story/piece attached to it in some way. So I've decided to continue this tribute sporadically and create an official "series" of some sort. You'll see the influence that MJ had on my life and hopefully it'll make you bring out your personal experiences in connection to the world's greatest artist as well.

Trey Day

Last Monday night, I attended Trey Songz' concert featuring Laura Izibor at the House of Bllues and was pleasantly surprised to say the least.

Unlike the fuckery that was Drake's concert a few weeks back, the Laura Izibor/Trey Songz combo was a complete difference, in only the most positive of ways. The concert started on time with Izibor opening the show and giving the crowd something to be excited about. I love her voice and compare her whole style to that of Alicia Keys. She plays the piano and has a very soulful/jazz-esque sound that I can appreciate. I was definitely pleased with the performance.

Towards the end of her number, she performed Mary J. Blige's, "Real Love", which drove the crowd INSANE! She is really talented and should NOT be slept on, people! Download her album which just dropped in May here.

The curtain closed for about 30 minutes and Trey Songz appeared on the scene. His promptness won cool points with me instantly and I wished I could just sit back and enjoy the show versus standing shoulder to shoulder with the other concertgoers. However, I wasn't complaining.

Onstage, Songz sang songs from his latest album, "Ready" which drops in August as well as select songs from his last work, "Trey Day". While singing, I was hoping against hope that he'd sing, "Role Play", which is by and large one of my favorite songs on the album. It just does hard to me. However...he never sang it. Instead, he sang other bangers like, "Missing You", "Sex For Yo Stereo", "Can't Help But Wait", and one of my favorites....."Last Time".

He even took it back and sang a hit song from his very first album, "Gotta Go" to which case he belted it out as if it was his first performance while the concertgoers crooned along with him. It was an awesome night.

What made it even more awesome was his stage presence. One thing that he did that blew me away (besides him making eye contact with me on more than one occasion-I think it was cuz height-wise I stood out from most of the girls) was his ummm "oral-sex face". He did an oral impersonation that left me stunned. I almost had to slap myself to get back on track with the concert...cuz my mind had definitely drifted lol. He also got offstage and performed in the crowd. This was short-lived, however as he was nearly raped by the females within reach and had to be pulled back onstage. Some of the women were so thirsty you could see the sand fall out of their mouths. It was ridiculous.

I will say that I completely underestimated Trey before this concert. I considered him a mildly talented singer with way too much physical appeal, which landed him "passes" in the industry. After last night's show though, my mind has changed. The kid* is an entertainer. And not only that...he's a really talented entertainer. I'm glad I was wrong, otherwise I'd have been upset that I paid for the ticket to see him.**

Other points of the night:

- A downfall of the concert was undoubtedly the "all ages welcome" for admission into the concert. With this, there were kids (literally) of all ages (literally), including a newborn child wrapped in a blanket with its mother enjoying the concert. Couldn't find a babysitter? Smh

- The attire of the concertgoers seemingly everywhere. Monday marked the first day of summer and it was HOT in Chicago (like 88 degrees outside). With that said, there were people everywhere in theee skimpiest of clothing and also the most out of date of styles. I hate trend followers and "trend-only" styles because well...they die fast. I prefer a timeless style. However, that wasn't the worst of it though. Three girls who came to the concert together were dressed from head to toe like Rihanna's clone. (By "head to toe", I mean from the hair to the makeup to the clothing to the shoes and even to the tattoos and "swag". It was weird as Hell, not to mention Rih Rih's current hair is just NOT hot. Ugh!) But anyway...

- Women fighting (literally) over things that Trey threw out to the audience. One incident was near me. He threw his sweaty towel. The towel touched my hand and some girl jumped all over my poor arm. I was rocking my specs and those few off, almost to the ground. I immediately tried to keep my distance and said girl as well as two others proceeded to fight over the towel. Security came to briefly break it up. It wasn't that serious. They can keep his sweaty towel! lol

- Women literally throwing their pantiies on the stage. Seriously. I swear I thought that the whole panty-throwing was a myth until last night. Damn, Trey...smh.

All in all though, I really enjoyed the concert. And I will be getting "Ready" when it drops (pause). Next concert is Lupe Fiasco's (yall know that's one of my FAVORITE artists, hands down!!!) at the Chicago Theatre.....but *sigh* I may not go. I've got broke friends :(. We'll see though, so stay tuned!

I've got videos and pics from Monday night stored into my phone but...they aren't the best so I won't be posting those up.

*- Trey is a year older than me. I just like to say "kid" here and there.
**- I wasn't going to go, but my homegirl is a Stan so I obliged and went. And loved the show. I'm glad I went.

Drake- Not the Best I Ever Had

So last Friday, Drake came to Chicago's House of Blues and performed a few tracks from his So Far Gone mixtape. Six words to sum up the concert:

What a Friday night that was....

The concert was scheduled to start at 11:30pm/midnight*. However, the lengthy line of fans and concert goers that circled around the perimeter of the House of Blues did not budge until well after 12:15. Luckily, my buzz was still quite intact and the ultra-comfy heels I wore were still supporting my feet and providing comfort. Once inside, I met up with some other friends, chatted a bit while the 900 fans collaborated in the standing room and collectively awaited a what then seemed to be a "oh there's just a few technical difficulties/Drake will be out really soon, so no need to worry" ordeal.

But then....time marched on.

And on.

I noticed my buzz dying down and my feet hurting just a tad, so I helped myself to a drink to get back into my groove. At around 1:30am, I took a seat, sipped my vodka/cranberry juice mixture, and a random girl came up to the group of us and said, "Drake ain't comin; I'm leaving". We shrugged. I looked at my phone and noticed the time and said, "Dang, he really might not show up".

At around 2am, I excused myself to make my way back to my original group, who were positioned perfectly in the front row/center of the standing room. On the way to them, I run into an ex-boo's roommate (we'll call this ex-boo "Big" and the roommate "Ck"). Ck and I chat very briefly and for a millisecond Big is mentioned.** Immediately, the curtain finally opens. "Drake is coming on!!!" shouts fans everywhere.

But alas........no Drake.

Instead came flooding random act after random act of Chicago's Wackest Artists (henceforth known as the CWA crew). One of the performers was a Latino rapper who's entire theme was, "the game needs to change". He came onstage complete with a three-piece suit and was determined to set his message.

Then....the unthinkable erupted. Out popped four women dressed in midrifts and thongs. They did a choreographed number which included a series of spins (professional turns), leaps, and.........booty drops and splits. *sigh* I thought he said the game needed a CHANGE!

Everyone in the audience was agape. Stunned, shocked, and quite annoyed. When the Latino artists' dancers appeared, I instantly let out a very loud, "SERIOUSLY, FAM?!?!" for all those around me (including those onstage as I was pretty close to the stage) to hear. I was irritable and all that I kept wondering was, "Where the Hell is Drake?!"

Finally, at around 2:45am, one of the hosts closes the curtain and says, "Y'all ready for Drake?" I understand that this was a method of amping the crowd, but at almost 3am, it was no longer necessary. Of course we were ready for Drake...especially after seeing and having to listen to those extremely subpar artists!

The curtain stayed closed until about 3:15am. Suddenly, the music came on and Drake had FINALLY made an appearance. I wasn't able to do a video myself because right before he came onstage, my phone's battery had died out completely *sad face*. When he came, he carried on as if we hadn't been waiting for him for the past 4 hours. He gave a really good show and I was really into it (especially when he performed, "Best I Ever Had" and "Say What's Real") until.....

...a fight broke out right in the middle of Best I Ever Had. And the performance was briefly aborted.

Here is the clip:




[sidebar]
Looking at the clip at around the 4:00 mark, you'll see one of my homies that came to the concert with us--Mikey. He has on all black and when the commotion erupted with the fight, he acted as if he was one of the members of Drake's entourage to make sure everything was copacetic. LOL How he got onstage is completely beyond me. We were wondering where he was all night! Also-you see Lupe Fiasco onstage holding Drake? Man I wish he had performed. He is one of my favorite artists HANDS DOWN!!!
[end sidebar]



The concert ended shortly afterwards. A disappointed Drake said he only had one more song left to perform but in my eyes, he couldn't have been finished performing, for it was only 4am. Now 4am is a late time...however, considering he had just gotten onstage at 3:15, I trusted he wouldn't be finished until around 5am. I was a little bummed about the ending of the concert, but glad nonetheless. I was tired/sleepy as Hell*** and my buzz had completely worn off, never to be seen again. So I was bittersweet.

Once we exited the House of Blues, there were cops and ambulances all over, someone had been shot, and it was just an all-around mess dressed in true Chicago fashion. I can't say that I was disappoined at the overall turnout, but as I said in the beginning of this blog:

What a Friday night that was...

*- It was scheduled so late (most likely) because Keyshia Cole had a concert at the Chicago Theatre (about ten minutes away) that same night that started at 8. Since Keyshia is a bit more 'official' than Drake, guess who wins?
**- The "Big" fiasco may possibly may be a more developed story for you readers. I know, I know...shocker, right? lol
***-I did not get home until after 6am on Saturday morning, not to mention I had not been sleeping whatsoever since the beginning of the week. My Insomnia had DEFINITELY kicked into a very high gear last week. It was insane!

Been Cool Since Grade School

So the homie VerbFashion published hers first and it kinda threw me off how once again she was in my head and did exactly what I was thinking of doing. Too bad I had to wait til after work to get this out of the way and to my blogspot. *shrugs*


Let's talk about The Cool Kids...

I grew up with Antoine (I don't think I'll ever get used to calling him by his stage name, Mikey Rocks, lol) and have known him since he was 11 and I was 13 years old. It's amazing how everyone in our neighborhood, grade school, and high school knew that he'd become someone dope and memorable. And just like that *snaps fingers* he's made it.......just as he said he would.

As Verb said, one of the things that made him a real live cool kid was his very individualistic style. At 14 and 15 years old, he didn't really care to try to cave into the trends set by 'everyone else'. He just did him entirely and it worked. He's cooler than that guy....literally.

I don't know too much about Chuck Inglish other than that his beats on the tracks made are very unique and extremely creative. The old-school hip hop sound and fun (and purposeful) lyrics are what gravitated me most to their music (other than the fact that I am actually friends with Antoine--I mean Mikey Rocks--in real life lol). I enjoyed Totally Flossed Out as well as The Bake Sale--both of which don't disappoint on any track. Each track is actually worth a listen (how rare is that?) Last week, The Cool Kids' lastest mixtape, "Gone Fishing" was released (although, I had the tape for much longer, lol). It's dope and if you're already familiar with the work of this group, you already know what to expect (read: no disappointments at all). However, if you aren't hip to them, I suggest you click the link below and get familiar STAT!

The Cool Kids
Gone Fishing

My favorite songs on the mixtape are: Pennies, Weekend Girls, and Champions. I can not wait until they drop their album When Fish Ride Bicycles either. This album is definitely a showcasing of the duo's creativity and individuality.

And the Award Goes To....

*Sigh*



I tried refraining from this for weeks (and was only going to come back to the blogosphere for this reason alone, smh)...but....I'm so sick of Diddy, I don't even know what the Hell to do anymore. So many questions come to the surface of my mind like.................Why is he still around (performance-wise)? I mean he's the catalyst for the talented Day26 (whose name could have easily been changed to ClosetQueens after further review of their shenanigans on MTB4 this season.....Whew!...[Que and Rob, we alllll know the truth; just come out the closet already!])..BUT.....he's also the catalyst for the BreakUp of DanityKane (all of their ridiculously [and highly unnecessarily] large egos aside), we all know the mastermind behind the demise is Mister Sean 'P Diddy' Combs himself. Eden's Crush, anyone?

Diddy is also cornier than a field full of stalks. How is he still getting play? Who wears a Pirates' team cap for the sole purpose of the 'P' to indicate the 'Puff'? *crickets anyone?* A corny nukka named P Diddy, that's who! I've got the mind to believe that he even approved of Day26's continuously off beat and out of style style. Why is Rob still rocking a mohawk......with designs etched throughout the sides, no less? Why is Brian still wearing braids that went out as soon as Obama was elected and was pushed further into Hairdo Heaven as soon as A.I and Carmelo Anthony stepped foot into somebody's barbershop? And who approved of Willie's get up last night? Que is insane (and such a suspect I've already reached a 'guilty' verdict), but I'm sure that was just for TVs sake. Mike is pretty normal but he's suspect to me too. No one approved of this mess other than Diddy. I mean I could go on and on about his corniness...but I'd rather not.

Know what? Forget it. I'll continue. Why is Diddy still dancing and singing in his artists' videos and onstage? Last week on MTB4 (Making the Band 4 for the unfamiliar), Diddy said, "Day26 will be on stage....with me!" Nah, son. YOU will be on stage with Day26. There is a difference! Day26 is the show..........not you! Get your life together!

But seriously...does he think the group can't be onstage without him? Why is he necessary for the show? Is he that self-centered and self-indulged he'd go as far as to steal the shine from the very group he created and brought to stardom in the first place (secret lives exposed regardless)? He does this with all of his artists and I'm tired of it. To Diddy (and I'd put this on Twitter but...I'm not on there so...): (in the voice of Tyra) You wanna be on TOP? (record scratch - end voice) Then do you OWN music! Sheesh! Suge Knight had a point when he blasted you at the Souce Awards all those years ago---wait! Okay, bad example--Is Clive Davis hopping in folks videos? No, you say? I suggest you follow suit....cause henceforth, you look BAD! (and before you even get the mind to say it--that 'bad' is NOT used in a positive light nor is it an invite to say some corny shyt like, "yea I'm Bad like Bad Boy, boyeee" or any other ridiculousness. Get it together.... NOW!)

Aight I'm done with my rant.


Sean 'P Diddy' Combs, Fix it! Cause I'm worried!

Ms_Slim

PS; I like Donnie Klang's sound and will support his music. I know you've got the urge to but...don't eff him up, Diddy. He is good where he is so far.

...For Now...part 2

I'm still not writing. Still not 'here'. Still on 'hiatus from posting'. Still..........still? There's still a lot going on and in the process of taking care of the things on my Life's plate, I sorta lost my writing mojo. Perhaps I'll find it soon.

Anyway, here's some pics/vids I like. Or just find......interesting. Enjoy.


1. May Essence Mag

2. From Yves Saint Laurent...

...I need. Too bad they're $950.00. No bueno.


3. Keri Hilson - Knock You Down video

Not late in the least. Just 'late' to blogger. But...I love Keri. Her style is dope (not to mention that short cut is hot on her and lightweight makes me not want to grow my hair out anymore because mine is exactly like this sans the highlights right now). Not a fan of Ne-Yo at all (corny, much?) ...so I don't think he was necessary.


4. Just when I thought that 'phase' was through...

Kanye Dance from SWAY Studio on Vimeo.

Through all the 'Ye is gay' whispering, I always defended. But this? iLaughed...but still.


5. Eminem - We Made You

I'm just glad he's back.



Alright. Fin.

Bumping in my Speakers...

Is it just me or did Friday take forever to get here this week? Sheesh! It’s been a long one for me. I’ve had so much going on, been overly busy at work and now that it’s finally Friday, I’m just ready to bolt outta here (the workplace) and start my weekend a few hours early.

Too bad I’ve gotta make a living. Ah well.

Anyway, here are some tracks that have been in heavy rotation. I’ve been on an “oldie” trip as of late (as if that’s news lol).

Enjoy:

Black Sheep – The Choice is Yours

.. ......

This song hasn’t really been in “heavy rotation” but a few weeks ago, it popped in my head for no reason at all and wouldn’t get out for a few days so I said I’d post it in my next BIMS blog. This is also one of my favorite old hip hop songs as well. The flow is tight, the beat is catchy, and although I’m not a fan of the video, I love this song. As usual, daddy introduced it to my brother and I way back in the day when it was poppin. It’s still hot though. And word has it that Black Sheep is still performing this song at small venues, too.

Brandy – I Wanna Be Down

.. ......

..

Ahh, Brandy…back in the days where (in my opinion) she reigned nearly as heavily as Beyonce is now. I loved her voice and personality at 15 years old. I came upon a performance of hers in ’95 (I think it was Soul Train) on YouTube and she was sooo confident and had a cool edge. I loved that! She had this “I got this” vibe that I really dug. I also loved Sittin Up In My Room as well as U Don’t Know Me (Like You Used To). My cousin and I always made up dances to songs and the videos that did have dances like this one, we watched religiously and learned. I still remember the dance we made up to U Don’t Know Me (Like You Used To). Dopeness! Have You Ever is also a personal favorite and I even wrote a poem with the same title a few years back.

Jazmine Sullivan – After The Hurricane

.. ......

This song, as well as “Fear” are my favorite songs on the whole album. I want her to make a video on these songs and could have done without the Bust Your Windows video I(because I honestly can’t get with that song [and a few others on the album] because of the lyrics alone. The song is about a painful break-up and how it resembles that of a hurricane. You know it’s coming, but even when it comes, you aren’t as prepared as you thought you’d be because you saw it coming all along. But then when it’s all sad and done, you realize that though you
feel hurt, you’ll live. You’ll be okay in time. My favorite lines are the hook
and chorus:

Cause when the tears start flowin' and the wind starts
blowin'

That's how you know it's comin' for you

When the rain start fallin' and you feel the pain comin'

That's how you know it's comin' for you



Just like a hurricane, just like a hurricane,
the way you break everything that comes in your way

Just like a hurricane, Just like a hurricane, the way you broke my heart and
now I'm left with the pain....

After the hurricane....

Aside from that though, I just love Jazmine’s voice, I swear I do. If she ever gets marketed as well as Bey, I swear I’d buy all her stuff and become a ridiculous Stan of hers. I was so shocked to find that she is only 21 years old. I just knew she was some years older than myself. Turns out, she’s some years younger.

Jay Z – Meet The Parents

.. ......

I love Jay-Z (but I’m not a Stan, then again I did get my blog title "Coming of Age" from him, so maybe....; I see you, Ceege lol). I have always loved this song and what makes me love it that much more is the fact that it was free-styled all the way through. I couldn’t believe it at first. It’s so good and it tells a story so accurately. The very last line was a good capper to a great freestyle: “Niggaz be a father/You’re killing your sons”. I feel like every dead beat dad should listen to this song and then think about their actions lol.

Bonus: Kriss-Kross - Jump

I saw someone with a status on facebook quoting this song and I said I'd add it. For kicks. They were so small. And this song started some kinda backwards pants wearing, spider head, car-jumping embracing age for a while after this song hit. I loved it!

RIP the Chris that passed of Leukemia some years back.

.. ......

.. ......


What’s Bumping in Your Speakers???

Welcome to 2009.....a Hip-Hop Throwback...

Hey, All. Happy New Year and all that good stuff....Hope everyone had a great holiday season. I'm back at work now, trying to effectively increase my grind and whatnot.


The other day I was watching Save The Last Dance for the 842nd time. And as soon as he came onto the screen, I thought of this*:





No I didnt JUST figure out that dude is from Onyx or vice versa. But the other day, that song popped in my head and didnt leave. That's been happening a lot lately.


I liked this rough-esque group. I call them "rough-esque" because I think they tried to elude a "hard-ass" mentality, but..........I wasn't fooled. Even when "Slam" came out (I was 8 years old lol). I loved their noise, their vibe, their sound...not to mention their energy was amazing. I always thought, "damn, aint they TIRED from all that jumping around and screaming and goin on?"


Plus their bald heads was kinda sexy. Q** looked the best to me though...


Just thought I'd share.




*I actually thought of the original "Slam" but good ol' YouTube decided to BLOCK that video......haters!
**I've been calling him "Q" ever since he played on Moesha.

Bumping in my Speakers...

I realize I've been MIA for a week, and there's a reason for it. I don't feel like getting into it in this blog. Just know that I've been dealing with a lot of harsh things lately. I'll blog on it soon.

I intended to post this blog last week sometime. Here it is:

Bumping In My Speakers…

.. -Common – Announcement

(Digging the choreography; I'm gonna learn this just cause lol)

Okay, whoever says that Common's latest album (UMC "Universal Mind Control") sucks sucks. Period. His album, though it isn't as good as his earlier works like "Like Water For Chocolate" or even "Finding Forever", it is a good album. In Announcement, when he says, "from the Southside….." I screamed and turned my radio waaaaaaaaaaaaaay up when I heard it in my car a few days ago, like on some strong south side (south 'burbs included, lol) pride shyt. This song wasn't merely bumping in my speakers. It was BLASTING. I laughed when he said, "cause when it comes to Hip Hop, it's just me and my bytch" LOL He referenced "I Used to Love H.E.R". My favorite line is, "I'll probably go to jail, but naw, that ain't me./I style cra-zy/And rock like Jay-Z". lol

His only downfall? He's only got ten tracks on this album. Just like I was disappointed with Erykah Badu for only having ten tracks on her latest album not, including the bonus track, even though it took me a while to get into her latest work, Common should have given us at least three more tracks.

.. -Christina Aguilera – Genie In A Bottle

Click Here to see the Vid; The Coding is Blocked

This was Christina's very first single. It came up on my ipod one day last week and I loved it all over again. I have always loved Christina's voice. She's so full of soul, passion, and a "blackness" very few um…non-Black artists have. Amy Winehouse has it as does Pink…but I think that the old Christina Aguilera takes the cake on both of them. Dirty was also a song that I loved of hers as well and in high school, my varsity dance team used a portion of Dirty for our competition dance……which was super dope, by the way.

.. - Common – Inhale

(I want a jacket like this!!!)

Man, seriously. UMC goes hard…again, not as hard as the previous works, but hard nonetheless. He's Common, for crying out loud!!! We shouldn't expect anything but greatness from my man :) . Inhale is a song that completely blows me away. From the beat to the lyrics to the entire vibe of the song….it's perfect. Absolutely perfect.

.. - Brandy – Departed

Click Here; The Video Coding is Blocked :(

Her album dropped the same day as Common's but I haven't gotten her album yet. However, I do love this song. I've always loved Brandy….all the way from the "I Wanna Be Down" and "Best Friend" days. Through the surge of "new talent" such as Rihanna, Janelle Monae, and even Jazmine Sullivan, Brandy has continued to hold her own in the music industry. Just when we may think that the old days of Brandy dropping albums (as spread out as they may be) were gone, she refuses to fizzle and be a part of "the past". I love that about her. This song goes hard as well.

Ledisi – Best Friend

I love this song. I love the soul in her voice. I love the melody. I love the lyrics. I love the entire feel of the song. Can anyone relate to it?

*I didnt find a video for it; BOOOO!!!*

Eminem – Lose Yourself

When I first did this blog, I had seen 8 Mile on TNT the weekend before about 3 times and that song got in my head. Heavily. It's also pretty darn inspirational as far as songs go. And even though he is controversial as all get out lyric-wise, I miss him in the game. He had/has a rawness to his sound that I really like. And besides, if it weren't for him, who would have thought up the word, "Stan" to describe a ridiculously brainwashed and over-hyper fan? Thanks, Em…now get back to the studio!

What's Bumping in Your Speakers?

When It Hurts So Bad

On my way to work today, I popped in my homegirl and let her words fill up all of my speakers throughout my car. When this song came on though, I almost pulled over to the curb once I got off the expressway and let it all out. But I didn't.

Lauryn Hill - When It Hurts So Bad

I swear I miss L. Boogie in the music game. Even though she just dropped one real album, her music has touched soooooo many people; it is unreal. I am convinced that she is the perfect artist. How awesome is it that a person's first (and apparently only) attempt at something that involves mass response turns into such a success and captivates such a huge audience on such a real level? How awesome is that? Lauryn Hill is the epitome of greatness.

This song is so beautiful and it's how I feel right now. At this exact moment. I know a lot of my blogs are not really too personal (I am, after all, a very private and reserved individual) and even on my MySpace joint when I talked about my down periods from time to time, I never fully described the pain. But the pain is real and the pain is constant. And just when I thought it was over, turns out, I am still in pain.

Michael Jordan said that "pain is weakness leaving the body". If that's true, then that means that I am super strong, right? If that's true, I should be like a superhero at this point, right?. But I don't feel so super. I don't feel so strong. I don't feel so great. I just feel this pain. And it hurts and I feel weak.

But don't anyone fret over me. I will be fine soon. Everyone have a great weekend.

No Salutation,

Ms_Slim

Bumping in my Speakers...

Taking You B----*record scratches*

…and there went that idea, just as quickly as it came.

I'm bored with the Taking You Back blogs already.

Have I told you guys just how quickly things become "routine" and "usual" for me? Just how short my attention span is? Just how hard it is to keep me entertained before I chuck the deus and call it a day, afternoon, or evening? Ugh…

I've done blog series' before. I've done them with other bloggers, personal friends, and I've had a few of my own blog series' all on MySpace (see: Sex Chronicles turned to Sex Chat and Lady Intellect Volumes, Thursday Thoughts, etc…) and they were pretty interesting, if not entertaining to do. However, with one that I solely do myself, I find myself being less and less committed and my mind drifting more and more into other topics and so forth.

So to better accommodate my ADD, I don't think I want to do a music series. I'm pretty sure I'll get bored with it at some point, primarily because of the limiting factor (only talking about a certain type, staying in one narrow lane, etc). Instead, I'll be posting songs that are in my head….whenever I feel like it. I'd really love to say that I'd be doing it "every week" but again—that kind of commitment just isn't me. It just isn't. Better to stay in a comfy lane than try to forge myself into one and end up losing my way in the process….

Here are some tracks that have been in heavy rotation lately. Enjoy.

Q-Tip – We Fight/We Love, featuring Raphael Saadiq

This song goes hard. Period. The Abstract Poet does not disappoint in this one at all. The whole album is actually beyond dope and in my opinion, is one of the best hip-hop albums I've heard all year. I also like "You", "Move", and "Shaka" as well. I think what makes me like this album is his content. Not too sure how his personal life looks, but he's talking about real things. Heartfelt things (We Fight/We Love) and for that, I love it… Raphael Saadiq also makes the track hot as well. I am soooo glad he dropped an album this year. He's been in ridiculously heavy rotation as well……

Raphael Saadiq – 100 Yard Dash

I am intoxicated by the beat and vibe of this song. "The Way I See It" is one of those albums that folk can sit back and listen to at any age. I had my granny listen to it and she loved it so much, she opted to turn her television off while she cooked (which she never does, by the way) and listen to his album instead…while I carried on about my evening). My granny is pretty dope, but besides that…so is Saadiq. What I absolutely adore about this whole album is the very authentic Motown-ish late 50s through 70s vibe that is there. From the album cover (and book inside) to the music organization to the length of the songs (songs back in the day, most specifically Motown produced songs didn't really even last three whole minutes to nowadays' hits of nearly 6 minutes [see: Erykah Badu]. Just something I noticed over the years) to….everything. If a person came to visit from another country and had never heard of Raphael Saadiq (or Tony! Toni! Tone! for that matter), but did study the culture of music a bit, they'd go to Best Buy and pick up Saadiq's album with the notion that it is indeed something out of 1965. I love that he also sampled the likes of Smokey Robinson as well and really made an awesome album. Each song is dope…which is pretty rare in albums.

Avril Lavigne – Complicated

Click here because the embedding has been blocked for this video

This song is kinda old, but I will admit…she goes hard in this song. I love it. I actually never knew her age until waaaaaay after the fact though. I don't really listen to a lot of punk pop (that's the category she's under – punk pop –lol), but I think she's a really good artist. Her style is pretty unique and I just love her "I don't give a *bleep* attitude" as well. Again, I love this song. I also love it because I'm in a sorta-kinda complicated situation and when I think of this song (or sing it lol), I'm really referencing myself like, "Why you have to go and make things so complicated?" Ehn…

Beyonce – If I Were A Boy

Click Here Because the Video Embedding was Disabled...

Okay. I like this song over Single Ladies. I'm a person that gets off into lyrics over a good and/or catchy beat. Blame Lil Jon for that though. And thank Dr. Dre and Pharrell. Single Ladies as a song (considering lyrics and all) is just not what's really good these days. Diva is also another example of this too. I was pissed when she got off into comparing a diva to a female hustler and having the gall to call them one and the same. Blech, Bey. Blech. Eff a beat. I'm all about lyrics. And because of that….I like If I Were A Boy. I thought her harmonies were on point and it's genuinely a good song. I like the message. I don't like the video though. It's a bit too…bitten for my tastes. I love originality. Thanks.

Oh! I also love Broken-hearted Girl and Halo as well. But that's about as far as that goes for me with that album. "If I Were A Boy", "Halo", and "Broken-hearted Girl"….maybe even "Radio".

Here is the request from the Taking You Back joint…..

Jade – Every Day of the Week

I loved Jade and their dookey braids and to the breast jeans LOL. I actually don't remember a whole lot about this group. Did they only have one album out? Either way, I remember this song very well. My sister and I had gotten the dookey braids just because Jade had them. We also used to sing the song….like we could relate and ish.

Taking You Back, Part 2

Taking You Back, Part 2

Hello, All. How was everyone's weekend? Hope well. Mine was okay. I did the going out to the club thing, the staying in thing, the writing thing, the lazy Sunday thing, and the insomniac thing. I have terrible insomnia lately but…that's for another blog entirely. What'd you do this weekend?

It looks as though the first part of this "series" had a theme. Anyone else catch that? While it wasn't my intention, it was pretty cool to see. I think I'll just call the first one, "Taking You Back, Part 1- The Fine Men Joint. What do you think?

As for this part, I'm not too sure I can get a theme together as I'm kinda everywhere in this one. I have decided to do something different though. I'll post three videos from the trip to Memory Lane my brother and I took as well as two requests. Fair enough? Let's start.

Edit: As I was gathering the videos, I ended up changing my mind a bit on this "no theme" thing for this part. This part is easily dividable into many divisions because it's so broad, so let's call this one: Taking You Back, Part 2- Men Groups Do It, Subpart 1…..(That's hella corny, ehn…; I'm at work, so cut me a break). Here we go:

**NOTE: This blog was admittedly more focused on looks lol. (My bad) Soooo I changed it a lil and made it more musically-centered. The corrections are in the light-blue. Enjoy**

Naughty By Nature, Hip Hop Hooray

I really liked this video. This was my little brother's pick. Back when this video was out, I was into the light-skinned dudes (they were popular back then lol) so Tretch didn't really have a shot in my world. Now that he has a shot, he isn't desirable really. Is he still married to Pepa? Now that I look back in time, he was kinda fine….ya know…in a short dark-skinned man kinda way. haha.

I really think that NBN were those rappers that were really socially conscious on a more close to home kinda way. Tretch's flow was super dope and the group's content revolved around more close to home-ish issues rather than socially conscious issues on a more global scale (see: NBN vs. say…Mos Def. They aren't really all that relatable but you get my point). My other fav song by them was "O.P.P." I didn't even know what that meant at the time lol. I think I just liked the beat and the music. I remember in elementary school, some of my homies at recess would just randomly go, "you down with O.P.P?" And the person they were referencing would finish it up with, "Yea you know me". We were small. No way we knew what he was talking about then lol.

De La Soul – Me, Myself, and I

This was my pick. I think Dave was sorta kinda an eensy weensy bit cute back then…for a chubby dude, lol. Maybe I'm just hella particular, who knows…but none of these cats were really handsome. I mean not one. I would like to think that musical groups all have that one member that was at least a little bit um…tempting. But noooo De La Soul had to go and be ultra different. None of yall could get it? Not even Mase? Meh….at least the music was dope.

I really liked 3 Feet High and Rising and De La Soul is Dead. Those albums are old as dirt but I'm really lost on how much they haven't been exposed though. I feel like they should be a lot bigger in the music game. Dope music can never get much play…………these days. lol

A Tribe Called Quest – Check the Rhime

This was my pick. This was my very first ATCQ sighting. Can someone please tell me what I was smoking to think that Fifa was absolutely THAT DEAL?! I mean I was in L-O-V-E with Fifa as a young'n.For real. I think it was because my dad used to pump up Fif all the time when he rapped. Or maybe it was because he sounded so dope when he spit. Or maybe it was because he was literally only five feet tall and my dad told me of the "origin" of his name and he was just interesting to me on that alone. Who knows? I thought he was suuuuuuper dope though. I wonder what happened to him. Q-Tip is still spitting and I love his latest, "The Renaissance" work now. It just came out. GO GET IT!!!

Lyrically speaking, I think that Fife is better than Q-Tip…but again, that's just my opinion. Q-Tip, while a good artist, his flow all kinda sounds the same. Maybe that's just me though…. I don't know…Scenario is also one of my favorite songs from ATCQ. I want them to do another album together...

Oh and…don't make fun of the deaf dude in the group.

Your picks.

En Vogue – Runaway Love (blogger.com site request)

En Vogue still has unmatched voices. I was pretty upset when Dawn decided to put on her Selfish hat and go solo, thinking she'd be bigger than the group…..and take a Fail while she was ahead. Ugh! I hear they are all solo now…or something. * shrugs * I think they were the best all women's group Post-Motown in the history of music. Period. But that's just me. There were imitators though (see: Destiny's Child, Jade, Xscape, etc) but so far no duplicators. It happens, I guess…

On another note, y'all see that hunk of something too nice all topless in the video? Gee-zus. Okay…lemme stop. The beginning of the video reminds me of a scene from Set It Off though.

LL Cool J – I Can't Live Without My Radio (MySpace blog request)

Okay…I love this song. Pure. Wholesome. Good music. Anyone disagree?

LL got MAD hate from rappers everywhere for being so "soft" with his lyrics and content in his music that he eventually came out with "Mama Said Knock You Out" I guess to dip into his "hard persona". Whatever. I loved that song too but…..he was good where he was at before. I figure that just because everyone else was going into hard core rap and being socially conscious or just gangsta rapping (see: Public Enemy [socially conscious] and N.W.A. [gangsta rap], he didn't really have to cave into "mainstream". LL has always been fine and just like his arrogant name states, "Ladies Love Cool James" Was there no room for the hopeless romantic?

He's been around forever and like two days. And he's still fine. * swoons * LL, when you get done with what's her face, gimme a call. I'm old enough now…..

Okay seriously…I really do love LL. I liked Bigger and Deffer and I actually liked 10 (which I really didn't think I'd like at all for some reason). They say that he "blew up" once he got "hard core" (see: Mama Said Knock You Out and 14 Shots to theDome), but personally, he was cool either way. I didn't really care which way he did it, really. His flow was good and he is a pretty good artist. His only mistake, in my opinion, was completely outside of music. It was…….FuBu. I haven't heard his latest one though.

Hit me on a the hip with your requests if you want to see something specific. Til then….Part 3 on Monday…..Stay Tuned…