Artist: Fabolous Title: The Soul Tape Tracklist:
1.Pain (Prod by Santana P-Thought)
2.Wolves in Sheeps Clothing (ft. Paul Cain)
3.Really Tho (Prod by Teddy Da Don)
4.Thats Not Love (ft. Lil Wayne) (Produced by StreetRunner)
5.Leaving You (Prod by Sonaro)
6.In The Morning
7.Drugs (Do This To Me) ft Paul Cain Broadway (Prod by Broadway)
8.-Yall Dont Hear Me Tho ft Red Cafe (Prod by Cardiak)
9.Phone Numbers
10.Mo Brooklyn, Mo Harlem, Mo Southside (ft. Vado Lloyd Banks)
11.Riesling Rolling Papers
12.Slow Down (ft. Trey Songz) (Produced by DJ Swivel)
13.PayBack Music (ft. Freck Billionaire)
14.{Look At Her) You Be Killin Em Pt 2 ft. Ryan Leslie / Ne-Yo
Behind the Eminem’s, Kanye’s, Jay-Z’s and Lil Wayne’s of the Hip Hop world is a group of rappers that have made it big yet don’t hold that international superstar status. Fabolous has been a part of that group for some time. While popular song like “Youngin (Holla Back)” and “Cant Let You Go” have gotten Fab some limelight he’s more likely to be seen on the BET Awards than the Grammy’s. Loso looks to capitalize on the success of his previous mixtapes, such as the There Is No Competition series, with a new concept mixtape, The S.O.U.L. Tape. Is S.O.U.L. another ill-fated concept attempt like his 2009Loso’s Way, or has Fabolous brought soul back to Hip Hop?
Production/Beat Selection: 9
Personally, I’ve always found live instrument beats or samples more appealing than 808 or drum kit heavy production. If you are like me, then you should love the production on S.O.U.L. Tape. From the soultry piano on “In the Morning” to the playful string instruments in “Leaving You.” The soul concept is spot on in the production. While the music is no Coltraine, the overall style of the mixtape is very relaxed and I’m sure will be used in the seduction of many young ladies. Like his other mixtapes there is a plethora of original beats with a few popular beats (Wolf in Sheeps Clothing = Devil in a New Dress, J. Cole’s In the Morning, Wiz’s Phone Numbers) thrown in.
Stand out tracks: “Leaving You,” Cardiak produced “Yall Dont Hear Me Tho,” “Riesling” & “Rolling Papers”
Lyrics: 7
There’s always a few givens on a Loso track; at least one trademark “niiiice” and witty punch lines galore. And The S.O.U.L. Tape is void of neither. While we can all agree Fab is in the top half tier of lyricists in the game, many feel like he has yet to evolve his style. Some may argue don’t fix what isn’t broke but every artist should look to improve their skill set. Fabolous continues to drop humorous punch lines and witty metaphors, but has done little to add to his lyricism. While you can see (or rather hear) the evolution across some artists albums or mixtapes, with Fab it can seem like same sh-t just a different beat. In comparison to the majority of rappers the lyrics of The S.O.U.L. Tape are solid, but nothing to write home about. They may stand up to Fab standards, but it would be nice to see Loso finally exceed those standards.
Stand out tracks: Vado and Lloyd Banks assisted “Mo Brooklyn, Mo Harlem, Mo Southside” & “Drugs (Do This to Me)” featuring Paul Cain
Songs: 8
With a soul concept it is not surprising that many of the songs content is aimed towards the ladies, And why not? The majority of Fab’s hits have been female orientated. Another commonality among Fabolous projects are the appearances of his Street Fam homies Paul Cain, Freck Billionaire and fellow NY rapper Red Cafe, each of which holds their own on their features without deteriorating the quality of the track. I would have liked to see some more diverse content, but it doesn’t get overly repetitive. Like I said before, the songs would be great to play when you’re with your girl or trying to score wit some dime.
Stand out tracks:“Really Tho,” “Pain”
Conclusion: 8
I feel about this mixtape the way I do about most Loso projects; solid but nothing overwhelmingly good.The S.O.U.L. Tape is sure to get some solid rotation in Hip Hop fans iPods but won’t be anyone’s’Mixtape of the Year. The question is how long can Fab put out good material before fans start looking for something great? I don’t see Loso falling of the radar anytime soon, but it would be nice to see him add some more weapons to his arsenal. He has found a path that works for him but he needs to take some more left turns to reach that next level. At least this time Fabolous succeeded in making a true concept album. This is definitely something I see myself chillin’ wit a bad b-tch and fat sack too. My favorite tracks are “Really Tho” and “Mo Brooklyn, Mo Harlem, Mo Southside” and “Leaving You.”
Artist: Drake Title: So Far Gone Tracklist:
1.Lust For Life
2.Houstatlantavegas
3.Successful (feat. Trey Songz & Lil’ Wayne)
4.Lets Call It Off (feat. Peter Bjorn & John)
5.November 18th
6.Ignant Shit (feat. Lil’ Wayne)
7.A Night Off (feat. Lloyd)
8.Say Whats Real
9.Little Bit (feat. Lykke Li)
10.Best I Ever Had
11.Unstoppable (feat. Santo Gold & Lil’ Wayne)
12.Uptown (feat. Bun B & Lil’ Wayne)
13.Sooner Than Later
14.Bria’s Interlude (feat. Omarion)
15.The Calm
16.Outro
17.Brand New
Review from Pitchfork.com:
On the one hand, it’s heartening that something like this can still happen: Relative unknown creates mixtape with a few friends and uploads it to the Internet, and then, within a few months, he’s maybe/possibly dating Rihanna and fielding seven-figure offers from broke major labels. Except in this case, the relative unknown in question was a star on the Canadian teeny-drama “Degrassi: The Next Generation”, and the friends in question are Lil Wayne and Trey Songz and Chris Paul. Even weirder, the main overarching theme of Drake’s So Far Gone seems to be the stresses and travails of fame, even if he recorded the damn thing when he wasn’t famous in any meaningful way. And now the tape has made him good and famous for real. I don’t know how this kind of thing happens; I just watch it.
Drake’s calling card has become “Best I Ever Had”, a likable, breezy summery pop song that’s managed to ascend to Hot 97 omnipresence without any sort of label backing, a very serious achievement. It’s a Nerf-heavy declaration of lust with a nice sentiment behind it, Drake telling the song’s second-person subject that she’s prettiest with no makeup, that she’s the fucking best lay he ever had. It also contains the one and only slick punchline Drake offers on the whole hour-plus mixtape: “When my album drops, bitches’ll buy it for the picture/ And niggas’ll buy it, too, and claim they got it for they sister.”
See, Drake’s not a great rapper. His delivery manages to convey confidence at pretty much all times, but it’s still halting and awkward. Half the time, his lines barely even make sense: “I never get attracted to fans/ Cuz an eager beaver could be the collapse of a dam”– huh? And even if the tape is mostly crammed with emo soul-baring, he still comes up with lines like this: “My delivery just got me buzzing like the pizza man.” Ugh. In his four appearances on the tape, Lil Wayne just annihilates Drake. This wouldn’t be news, except we’re talking about circa-2009 syrup-fried Wayne here, and it’s rarer and rarer that he gets the better of anyone on a song.
And yet So Far Gone still scans as one of the most compulsively listenable mixtapes of a great year for mixtapes. Blame Kanye. Drake isn’t just a post-Kanye artist; he’s a post-808s and Heartbreak artist, possibly the first. On that album, Kanye drifted lazily from rapping to singing over a bed of rippling lush-but-sparse electro that still gets better every time I hear it. Drake does much the same thing on So Far Gone. He’s a singer/rapper in the Missy Elliott mode, and he even pays Missy tribute by swiping the beat from her “Friendly Skies” for “Bria’s Interlude”. When he swings from rapping to buttery teen-idol singing, it feels organic and effortless, like he’s just doing whatever makes the most sense at any given moment.
Musically, Drake favors a very specific sort of sugary but spacious electro-soul; nearly every track makes heavy use of organ sustain and sparse heartbeat drums. He uses tracks from Swede-pop types like Lykke Li and Peter Bjorn and John, the sort of thing that seems forced and gimmicky when most rappers do it. In Drake’s hands, though, those songs make sense in close proximity to, say, Jay-Z’s “Ignorant Shit” or Kanye’s “Say You Will”. And it helps that he actually interacts with his source material. With “Little Bit”, Drake doesn’t simply rap over Lykke Li’s original. Instead, he structures it like a duet, he and Lykke slowly circling each other and admitting their crushed-out feelings. It’s cute. My favorite track on the tape is the DJ Screw tribute “November 18th”, wherein Drake pulls off something that I’ve never heard any actual Houstonians manage (sorry, Big Moe): He turns Screw’s slow, woozy sound into loverman R&B. The lyrical conceit is goofy as hell (“Tonight I’ll just fuck you like we’re in Houston”– slow, get it?), but Drake’s angelic falsetto floats beautifully over the smeared-streetlights track, and it just sounds right.
And then there’s all that price-of-fame stuff. Again, blame Kanye, because somehow this comes out sounding slippery and interesting rather than petulant and unbearable. See, Drake’s figured out that the way to brag backhandedly– to brag without bragging– is to complain about all the awesome shit that you get to endure. So here he is on “The Calm”: “Look what I became, tryna make a name/ All my first dates are interrupted by my fame.” Other rappers talk big about getting mobbed every time I hit the mall; Drake complains about those masses making his candlelit dinners a little bit more awkward. Or: “My mother embarrassed to pull my Phantom out, so I park about five houses down.” You learn he has a Phantom, and you also learn that it’s the source of some family strife that doesn’t even make sense. Crafty. And now that Drake is really, truly famous, he should really have some shit to complain about.
Tracklist:
1.Trey Songz-Gone Too Long (Prod by @miles777 @romayo09)
2.Trey Songz-Runaway (Triggamix)
3.Trey Songz-F ck Wit You No More (Triggamix)
4.Trey Songz-Aston Martin Music (Triggamix)
5.Trey Songz-Just Not Fair (Prod by markthemogul)
6.Trey Songz-Don t Forget Your Ring (Prod by Phenom)
7.Trey Songz-Right Above It (Triggamix) ft Fabolous
8.Trey Songz-Sk Shit (Prod by skmusic)
9.Trey Songz-Whatever You Want Ft Sasha Gomez (Prod by markthemogul)
10.Trey Songz-For Yall (Prod by @romayo09 @darealrichez @troytaylorttu)
11.Trey Songz – Baby By UR Side
12.Trey Songz-May I (Prod by phenom)
13.Trey Songz – Monster
14.Trey Songz-Maybe (Triggamix)
15.Trey Songz-Another One (Triggamix)
16.Trey Songz-Ten 4 (Prod by Phenom)
Tracklist:
1.Jackin For Beats
2.Root Of All Evil
3.Hunnadz
4.Don’t Love Me
5.She Will
6.Real Freak
7.AWall Shit
8.Mind Gone
9.Headlines
10.Lap Dance (HEAUX)
11.A$$ – Mr. Nice Watch – That Way – Triggamix
12.Whoever Else
13.Changes
14.BeatNutz
15.The Whole World
16.I Got It
17.In Africa – Triggamix
18.Nightmares Of The Bottom – Triggamix
1.Find A Place
2.Still Scratchin Me Up
3.When We Make Love
4.Me 4 U Infidelity 2
5.Don’t Judge
6.Inside pt2
7.Good Feelings
8.Bomb (a.p.)
9.Flights & Skype
10.Girl At Home
11.French Kiss
12.Girl On Girl
13.U Should Roll…
14.Top Of The World
15.She Needs Me
1.Famous
2.Showerlude
3.Scratchin Me Up
4.Does She Know
5.Infidelity
6.You Belong To Me
7.More Than That
8.On Top
9.It Would Be You
10.Make It Rain
11.Yo Side Of The Bed
12.She Aint My Gurl
13.Successful (Live)
I have to admit that it took a loooong time for me to be like Trey Songz’s brand of bare chested, testosterone filled Thug-N-B. However, after strong performances on songs like “I Bet The Neighbors Know My Name” and “Love Faces”, I gave this dude another chance. That said, I came into this new project with an open mind.
From the beginning of this short offering, I am all at once struck by the juxtaposition of Trey’s humility with his confidence and bravado. However, I am also confused. Who is Trey Songz? At times, he shows signs of greatness and comparison’s to R. Kelly or Aaron Hall vocally and lyrically but then it seems that he wants to be a rapper or thug. Then, at other times, he is simply vocally lazy and needs to put more work in with his vocal coach to smooth out some of the pitch issues that he and many of his peers seem unconcerned with. Just sing the damn lyric! Why do so many R&B singers oversing lyrics like they are looking for the proper key and pitch? Really grinds my gears.
Also, what does the title of this project suggest? Are we to assume Trey has been working his entire career to release a 5 song EP? Is this the inevitability he is referring to? We aren’t sure about that one. A better title would have been “I Had Some Time Off…So I Made a Few Songs” or simply “Lazy.” Just saying.
And finally, why not spend some time on a proper album cover? Trey’s creative team simply chose to repurpose and photoshop his “Just Gotta” cover rather than come up with a new concept. Sure, he has evolved and rid himself of the younger looking cornrows. Perhaps, we are to assume this physical change will be reflected in his music. Not sure he accomplishes that in spades but at least he makes an attempt to grow up.
Overall, even with the apparent creative laziness, we did manage to enjoy the EP and think his stable of female fans will eat up at least a couple songs on this project.
“If you can conceive it in your mind, you can achieve it in the physical” – Trey Songz
Track-by-Track Review
01. Top Of The World – B
We like the motivational sentiment in this cut. Trey waxes poetic about his paper and accomplishments while extending the hope to his community. For some reason, we believe him, but a looking a little sideways at the delivery. Really Trey? Personally, I could have done without the ignorant sounding soliloquy at the end. It just ruined an otherwise heartfelt message in my book.
02. What I Be On (feat. Fabolous) – B-
The beat ain’t bad. Unfortunately, this is the requisite club banger for the fellas with (sub)standard overused themes: booze, weed, money, women. Yawn.
03. I Do – B
I just like this song. It’s clever and straight to the point sex driven R&B. This is that late night soundtrack that you have come to expect from Trey. Lyrically, it is reminiscent of Drake’s Marvin’s Room, where Trey is making a plea to a lover that he is more capable than her other option. Well done for the most part even though it reeks of an R. Kelly knockoff with less thought put into production and arrangement.
04. Outside (Part. 1) – B+
I love the mood of this sex-fueled ballad. The lyrics are clever and sung with purpose without too many of the usual vocal machinations that simply get on my nerves and don’t impress. However, I could have done without the ubiquitous Drake “Uh” which we hear WAY TOO MUCH on his own projects. It just didn’t add anything to this song except the thought that Trey couldn’t actually afford a Drake cameo perhaps? We don’t think that is the case, but the absence of any real contribution seems a bit out of place
05. Sex Ain’t Better Than Love – A-
I love the sentiment of this song as well as the production and performance by Trey. Nice message to those youngsters out there who haven’t figured this one out yet. He should be getting a decent amount of Quiet Storm love from this one.
Overall Grade:B
While we enjoyed the EP, we are not sure it will resonate with everyone, which is fine. Trey’s most loyal fans will find something they like in this short player, while those not as familiar will likely be left a bit confused. Pick and choose with this one.
Who doesn’t love Nicki Minaj?! With the lyrical dexterity matching some of the best in the business combined with a raw sexiness not seen in Hip Hop since Lil Kim, Nicki is well on her way to becoming one of the all-time greats. Listen to and download her first Young Money mixtape, “Beam Me Up Scotty”here for free.
Mixtape Details
Artist: Nicki Minaj
Title: Beam Me Up Scotty
Release Date: April 18, 2009
Released By: Young Money Entertainment and Dirty Money Entertainment
Tracklist
1. Intro
2. I Get Crazy ft. Lil Wayne
3. Itty Bitty Piggy
4. Kill Da DJ
5. Mind On My Money ft. Brinx & Busta Rhymes
6. Nicki Minaj Speaks
7. Slumber Party ft. Gucci Mane
8. Shopaholic ft. Gucci Mane & Bobby Valentino
9. Go Hard ft. Lil Wayne
10. Nicki Minaj Speaks
11. Best I Ever Had ft. Drake
12. Handstand ft. Shannell
13. Keys Under Palm Trees
14. Get Silly
15. Easy ft. Gucci Mane & Rocko
16. Five-O ft. Jae Millz & Gudda Gudda
17. Nicki Minaj Speaks
18. Envy
19. Can Anybody Hear Me
20. Still I Rise
21. I Feel Free ft. Ron Browz, Red Cafe, Ricki Blaze
22. Outro
23. Beam Me Up Scotty
More about “Beam Me Up, Scotty” Mixtape by Nicki Minaj from WikiPedia.org:
Beam Me Up Scotty is the third mixtape by American recording artist Nicki Minaj. It was released on April 18, 2009 by Young Money Entertainment and Dirty Money Entertainment. The mixtape includes guest appearances by Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Busta Rhymes,Bobby Valentino, and other Young Money artists like Drake and Jae Millz. Shortly after its release, Minaj—along with other Cash Money/Young Money artists—appeared on MTV.com’s Mixtape Daily to discuss the recording.
Beam Me Up Scotty was recorded after Lil’ Wayne noticed Nicki Minaj’s appearance on Queens-based underground rap label Dirty Money Records’ “On the Come Up” DVD series (Dirty Money Records is not to be confused with Diddy-Dirty Money). Wayne is credited with mentoring Minaj as she recorded Beam Me Up Scotty, two years after her appearance on “Don’t Stop, Won’t Stop”, a track from Wayne’s acclaimed 2007 mixtape Da Drought 3 (the track sampled “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” by Young Gunz). The tape is credited with helping to create Nicki Minaj’s fan base. Despite the impressive list of collaborators on the tape, Minaj “remains in the foreground” of the tape. Minaj herself says of her time on tour with Lil’ Wayne: “It made me hungry. That’s what inspired me and the music for the Beam Me Up Scotty tape — the I Am Music Tour.”
Minaj credits Beam Me Up Scotty with re-focusing her on her music at a time when much of her career efforts were associated with her image: “I was OK, but I wasn’t focusing on the music. I was doing pictures and stuff like that, so people knew me more for pictures than my music. But with the Beam Me Up Scotty mixtape, they have to take me seriously as an artist. So, I would say maybe a year ago, I started sharpening my skills. Recently, I’ve been singing more. Now it’s official — it’s going down like ‘Town Julie Brown.” —Nicki Minaj
This year’s Soul Train Music Awards featured more performances than awards. Performers included The Time, Joe, Robin Thicke, Common, Marsha Ambrosius, Kenny Lattimore, Dave Hollister, Freddie Jackson, Gladys Knight, Mindless Behavior, Tamar Braxton, Chrisette Michele, Anthony Hamilton, BeBe Winans, Boney James, Mary Mary, Natalie Cole, Cee Lo Green, Melanie Fiona, Lloyd, Eric Benet and Joe. Plus, there was a Heavy D tribute featuring Doug E. Fresh, Goodie M.O.B., Naughty By Nature, Whodini, Big Daddy Kane and Kurtis Blow.
AWARD RESULTS (Winners in Green)
Best New Artist
Bruno Mars
Marsha Ambrosius Miguel (Soulhead Pick)
Frank Ocean
Best Male R&B/Soul Artist
Trey Songz
Chris Brown
R. Kelly
Miguel Cee Lo Green (Soulhead Pick)
Eric Benet
Best Caribbean Performance “Man Down” – Rihanna
“Summer Time” – Vybz Kartel
“Wotless” – Kes The Band
“Bend Over” – Machel Montano “Delilah” – Movado
Best Gospel Performance “I Smile” – Kirk Franklin (Soulhead Pick) “Walking” – Mary Mary
“Heaven Hear My Heart” – Trin-I-Tee 5:7
“I Believe” – James Fortune ft. Shawn McLemore
“More” – Cece Winans
Album of the Year
21 – Adele F.A.M.E – Chris Brown
4 – Beyonce
Passion Pain & Pleasure – Trey Songz
Light of the Sun – Jill Scott Watch The Throne – Jay Z and Kanye West (Soulhead Pick)
Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year “Moment for Life” – Nicki Minaj (Soulhead Pick)
“All of the Lights”- Kanye West ft. Rihanna
“Look at Me Now” – Chris Brown feat. Busta Rhymes and Lil’ Wayne
“Out of My Head” – Lupe Fiasco
“Otis” - Jay Z and Kanye West
Best Female R&B/Soul Artist
Kelly Rowland
Beyonce
Marsha Ambrosius Jennifer Hudson (Soulhead Pick) Jill Scott
Mary J. Blige
Song of the Year “Motivation” – Kelly Rowland feat. Lil’ Wayne
“Sure Thing”- Miguel “Rolling in the Deep” – Adele (Soulhead Pick)
“She Ain’t You” – Chris Brown
“All of the Lights” – Kanye West
“So In Love” – Jill Scott ft. Anthony Hamilton
Record of the Year (The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award)
“Rolling in the Deep” – Adele (Writers: Adele, Paul Epworth) “Far Away” – Marsha Ambrosius (Writers: Marsha Ambrosius, Sterling Simms) “Best Thing I Never Had” – Beyonce (Writers: Antonio Dixon; Kenneth Edmonds; Larry Griffin, Jr.; Beyoncé Knowles; Caleb McCampbell; Patrick Smith; Shea Taylor) (Soulhead Pick)
“Good Man” – Raphael Saddiq (Writers: Raphael Saadiq, Taura Stinson)
“Hold My Hand” (Duet with Akon) – Michael Jackson (Writers: Aliaune Thiam (Akon), Giorgio Tuinfort, Claude Kelly)
Best Dance Performance
“Motivation” – Kelly Rowland “Only Girl in the World”/”What’s My Name” – Rihanna (Soulhead Pick) “Run The World” – Beyonce
“She Ain’t You” – Chris Brown
“Walking” – Mary Mary
“Pretty Girl Rock” – Keri Hilson
2011 Soul Train Award Legend Award Recipients
Gladys Knight
Earth Wind and Fire
Traditional Jazz*
“In Concert On Broadway” – Harry Connick Jr.
“James Farm”- Eric Harland
“Light My Fire”- Eliane Elias “Silver Pony”- Cassandra Wilson (Soulhead Pick)
“What’s It All About” – Pat Metheny
Contemporary Jazz*
“Contact” – Boney James “Hello Tomorrow” – Dave Koz
“Rock-et Sci-ence ”- Bela Fleck
“Let’s Touch The Sky”- Fourplay “Time Together”- Michael Franks
Soulhead Results: 3 out of 11 (Oh well, better luck next year)
With Chris Brown and Beyonce leading the nominees, the 2011 Soul Train Awards, which took place on Thursday, November 17th at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia, will air tonight, November 27, on both Centric and BET at 9PM EST.
Confirmed performers for the show include multi-Grammy Award winning singer Natalie Cole, Jill Scott, Mindless Behavior, Robin Thicke, BeBe Winans and Joe, with The Original 7Ven, formerly known as The Time, opening the show. Questlove, of The Roots, will also perform a rendition of the “Soul Train” opening song.
While we are well aware that many of our picks will not likely win, we present those those that we feel are most deserving here for your review and debate.
SOULHEAD PICKS
Best New Artist
Bruno Mars
Marsha Ambrosius Miguel (Soulhead Pick)
Frank Ocean
Commentary: While we were quite impressed by Frank Ocean this year, we feel Miguel really made us sit up and listen. ”All I Want is You” is one of the better songs this year for sure. While we think Bruno Mars will likely win this award, we are pulling for Miguel.
Best Male R&B/Soul Artist
Trey Songz
Chris Brown
R. Kelly
Miguel Cee Lo Green (Soulhead Pick)
Eric Benet
Commentary: We are just too proud of Cee Lo. From Goodie MOB to Gnarls Barkley, this brother has really been on a roll for years. Again, he likely won’t win but he deserves to. Unfortunately, Chris Brown will likely take the award, which we do not feel will be deserved. Not that Chris is not talented, but in this group, he’s not our fave.
Centric Award Ledisi (Soulhead Pick)
Raphael Saadiq
Bilal
Anthony David
Aloe Blacc
Commentary: We are strooong supporters of Ledisi as one of our country’s best singers ever. As such, we cannot go against her in this important category. We love most of these artists and would love to see any of these incredibly gifted artists win, but Ledisi should win, with Raphael Saadiq a very close second.
Best Caribbean Performance
“Man Down” – Rihanna
“Summer Time” – Vybz Kartel
“Wotless” – Kes The Band
“Bend Over” – Machel Montano “Delilah” – Movado
Commentary: Even though it will be tough to beat Rihanna just ’cause, we were hearing Movado a bunch this year in Brooklyn.
Best Gospel Performance
“I Smile” – Kirk Franklin (Soulhead Pick)
“Walking” – Mary Mary
“Heaven Hear My Heart” – Trin-I-Tee 5:7
“I Believe” – James Fortune ft. Shawn McLemore
“More” – Cece Winans
Commentary: This will be a very tight competition for this award. Mary Mary had a stellar year but we feel the remixed and accessible Kirk Franklin sound will win out.
Album of the Year
21 – Adele
F.A.M.E – Chris Brown
4 – Beyonce
Passion Pain & Pleasure – Trey Songz
Light of the Sun – Jill Scott Watch The Throne – Jay Z and Kanye West (Soulhead Pick)
Commentary: We’d actually like to see Trey Songz win this award since he has been grinding for so many years and this past year produced some quality material. However, I think the best album of this group would be Jay Z and Kanye’s effort followed by Adele.
Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year
“Moment for Life” – Nicki Minaj (Soulhead Pick)
“All of the Lights”- Kanye West ft. Rihanna
“Look at Me Now” – Chris Brown feat. Busta Rhymes and Lil’ Wayne
“Out of My Head” – Lupe Fiasco “Otis” - Jay Z and Kanye West
Commentary: Almost too close to call, but since this is a hip hop category and not a pop category, we will pick Otis over Moment for Life, which we feel is a more powerful song but not as hip hop as Otis.
Best Female R&B/Soul Artist
Kelly Rowland
Beyonce
Marsha Ambrosius Jennifer Hudson (Soulhead Pick)
Jill Scott
Mary J. Blige
Commentary: We love all of these artists but felt that Jennifer Hudson had the best year. The sentimental fave here would be Kelly Rowland but we don’t actually believe she will get the nod over Beyonce. As such, they may cancel each other out, leaving the way for J-Hud to scoop up this one.
Song of the Year
“Motivation” – Kelly Rowland feat. Lil’ Wayne
“Sure Thing”- Miguel “Rolling in the Deep” – Adele (Soulhead Pick)
“She Ain’t You” – Chris Brown
“All of the Lights” – Kanye West
“So In Love” – Jill Scott ft. Anthony Hamilton
Commentary: Adele really deserves this one. Rolling in the Deep is one of the best songs of the past few years for sure. That said, we’d love to see Jill and Anthony take this one home.
Record of the Year (The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award)
“Rolling in the Deep” – Adele (Writers: Adele, Paul Epworth)
“Far Away” – Marsha Ambrosius (Writers: Marsha Ambrosius, Sterling Simms) “Best Thing I Never Had” – Beyonce (Writers: Antonio Dixon; Kenneth Edmonds; Larry Griffin, Jr.; Beyoncé Knowles; Caleb McCampbell; Patrick Smith; Shea Taylor) (Soulhead Pick)
“Good Man” – Raphael Saddiq (Writers: Raphael Saadiq, Taura Stinson)
“Hold My Hand” (Duet with Akon) – Michael Jackson (Writers: Aliaune Thiam (Akon), Giorgio Tuinfort, Claude Kelly)
Commentary: The lyrics of Best Thing…. just work. Period.
Best Dance Performance
“Motivation” – Kelly Rowland “Only Girl in the World”/”What’s My Name” – Rihanna (Soulhead Pick)
“Run The World” – Beyonce
“She Ain’t You” – Chris Brown
“Walking” – Mary Mary
“Pretty Girl Rock” – Keri Hilson
Commentary: We’d love to see Kelly win this one but think Rihanna really represented this year.
2011 Soul Train Award Legend Award Recipients
Gladys Knight
Earth Wind and Fire
Traditional Jazz*
“In Concert On Broadway” – Harry Connick Jr.
“James Farm”- Eric Harland
“Light My Fire”- Eliane Elias “Silver Pony”- Cassandra Wilson (Soulhead Pick)
“What’s It All About” – Pat Metheny
Commentary: Cassandra Wilson is always a favorite in this category.
Contemporary Jazz*
“Contact” – Boney James
“Hello Tomorrow” – Dave Koz
“Rock-et Sci-ence ”- Bela Fleck
“Let’s Touch The Sky”- Fourplay “Time Together”- Michael Franks
Commentary: Who doesn’t want to see Michael Franks accept this award. Love him.
Last year, when Drake dropped his debut album “Thank Me Later”, all eyes were definitely on him. The Canadian hip-hop artist had garnered acclaim for his now-classic and influential mixtape So Far Gone, scored an indisputable hit record with “Best I Ever Had,” nabbed Grammy nominations, and received near universal accolades for his emotive blend of rap and R&B.
Then, a funny thing happened on the way to the top of the Billboard charts. People expressed dissatisfaction with “Thank Me Later.” Let’s not be mistaken, the album went platinum and spawned several hits, including “Find You Love,” “Over,” and the brilliant “Miss Me.” But it just didn’t have the impact of classic hip-hop debuts like Doggystyle and Get Rich Or Die Tryin’—critically or sales wise.
Which is why Drake supposedly titled his sophomore album Take Care. “I didn’t get to take the time that I wanted to on that record. I rushed a lot of the songs and sonically I didn’t get to sit with the record and say, ‘I should change this verse,’” he said in a radio interview. “That’s why my new album is called Take Care because I get to take my time this go-round.”
Featuring an impressive roster of guest artists, including Stevie Wonder, Andre 3000, Rihanna, Rick Ross, The Weeknd, and labelmates Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj, and boasting production from Just Blaze, Boi-1da, and long-time collaborator Noah “40″ Shebib for production, Take Care is Drake’s attempt at giving listeners the classic album they’d expected with his debut. Was he successful?
Track-by-Track Review
01 “Over My Dead Body” featuring Chantal Kreviazuk – B+
The album opener finds Drake addressing the naysayers, competition, and anyone else who questions his ability to match (or even exceed) his previous successes. His clever lyrics, aided by Canadian pop chanteuse Chantal Kreviazuk’s ethereal vocals and piano stylings, make this one a winner.
02 “Shot For Me” – B
An intoxicating torch song, “Shot For Me” finds Drake talking to one of his pre-fame loves. It didn’t work out for whatever reason—she thought Drake was cheating during their courtship—but there’s still quite a bit of affection between the two. The SWV sample is the icing on the cake.
03 “Headlines” – B
Take Care’s lead single is arrogant, bombastic, and bumpin’. Over punchy kicks, wobbly synths, and a frenetic snare, Drake once again reminds his detractors that he’s hip-hop’s reigning It-Boy for a reason. But that’s something they already know. They know, they know, they know….
04 “Crew Love” featuring The Weeknd – A-
When OVO and XO link up, you can be sure the result will be nothing short of amazing. Drake’s protege, Canadian R&B wunderkind Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd, opens this spacey little ode to bromance. The brotherly love is evident—Drake’s gonna make sure all his people are taken care of, and The Weeknd will supply his boys with a never ending procession of Polish girls. One of the best tracks on the album, “Crew Love” will have you feeling the love.
05 “Take Care” featuring Rihanna – A-
Did they or didn’t they? If the rumors (some of which fueled by Mr. Graham himself) are to be believed, they did. Maybe that’s why this duet works so well. Drake and Rihanna lament their lost love over a melancholic dance track produced by Jamie xx.
06 “Marvins Room” featuring Kendrick Lamar – A+
Initially a throwaway track recorded for fun, the plaintive “Marvins Room” finds Drake drunk dialing an ex and telling her to dump the zero she’s with and get the hero that our protagonist has become. Sure, it could construed as a “hater’s anthem,” but it’s such an honest admission of one’s feelings, you can’t help but to root for Drizzy. It’s hands down one of the best songs of the year, and contains what might be the ultimate bootie call line: “I need someone to put this weight on.”
07 “Buried Alive Interlude” featuring Kendrick Lamar – B
A storytelling interlude by Kendrick Lamar in which the Cali rapper details the first time he met Drake and how he covets his peer’s success. It’s pretty damn clever.
08 “Underground Kings” – B+
Drake has always been reverent of Houston’s hip-hop culture—notice the number of songs on Take Care alone that reference or sample some of the scene’s unsung heroes. While this uptempo track pays subtle homage to the 3rd Coast innovators from whom it takes its name, the song is mostly a chance for Drake to exercise a rapid-fire flow while reminding us that he is this era’s underground champion made good.
09 “We’ll Be Fine” featuring Birdman – B
Typical braggadocio raps from Drizzy, capped by a rambling Birdman at the end, exhorting the listener to give Drake respect for being one of “the realest niggas with the realest flow.”
10 “Make Me Proud” featuring Nicki Minaj – A-
Drake’s not fooling anyone—he is in love with Nicki Minaj, and really, who can blame him? The rapstress owns this collaboration with a verse that details her merchandising deals, exhibits Sagittarius pride, and salutes Dolly Parton. What the Harajuku Barbie is saying is this: she, too, can just be as successful as the boys and she can do it on her own terms. Drake is off to the side, admiring and showering Nicki with praise: “Umso, umso, umso, umso, umso proud of you!”
11 “Lord Knows” featuring Rick Ross – A+
By now, it should be a foregone conclusion that if Rick Ross is a guest on an album, he will appear on the best track. Case in point: “Lord Knows” is a banger of the highest order. Just Blaze manned the boards on this one, which boasts gospel-inspired vocals and the producer’s trademark hard-hitting drums. Drake blacks out for the first three minutes, spitting rhymes that are simultaneously inspirational and vicious. The Bawse wraps things up, reminding us that “you only live once.” By far the album’s best song, only one can truly describe it: EPIC.
12 “Cameras / Good Ones Go (Interlude)” – B-
There’s an internet meme that says, “May your life be as awesome as you pretend it is on Facebook.” That’s pretty much the theme of this song—”She look like a star,” Drake rap-sings, “but only on camera.” It’s a cool, funny tune, but not a standout by any means. The interlude that follows, however, is yet another smoky elegy for love lost.
13 “Doing It Wrong” featuring Stevie Wonder – B+
Another ballad, one in which Drake says that the current generation doesn’t know how to love or stay together for the sake of love. It’s a sobering sentiment, one made all the more sad by a beautifully mournful harmonica solo from Stevie Wonder.
14 “The Real Her” featuring Lil Wayne and Andre 3000 – A
This track sounds like it would have been right at home on So Far Gone, which is apropos given it references one of that mixtape’s most memorable songs, “Houstatlantavegas.” Wayne’s verse is cool, but it’s Three Stacks who really shines with his lyrical pontifications on love and heartbreak: “Niggas that are married don’t wanna go home/We look up to them, they wish they were us/They want some new trim/We lust for some trust.” The grass really ain’t greener on the other side.
15 “HYFR (Hell Yeah Fuckin’ Right)” featuring Lil Wayne – B+
Over rubbery synths and caffeinated drums, Drizzy and Tunechi spit some clever verses just for the hell of it. It’s one of the very few stream-of-consciousness songs on Take Care, but as that is typically Weezy’s M.O., it’s not as jarring as you’d expect.
16 “Look What You’ve Done” – B
This song is saccharine, to be sure, but it’s one of the album’s most heartfelt jams. Drake’s thank you to those who believed in him, specifically his grandmother. Her soundbite at the end is manipulative; if this song doesn’t make you think of your own mother or grandmother while at the same time making your eyes well up, you clearly have no soul.
17 “Practice” – B+
Perhaps the most controversial track on Take Care, Drake decided to pay homage to his Cash Money ancestors and remake Juvenile’s classic “Back That Azz Up.” As a ballad. Yes, you read right. But what’s even crazier is that it totally works. The subject matter is crude—Drake is telling the young woman he’s wooing that all the men she’d previous slept with were merely practice for him—but 40′s airy take on Mannie Fresh’s instantly familiar strings and Drake’s vocal interpretation of Juvy’s profane come-ons make “Practice” stand out.
18 “The Ride” – B+
Drake closes out the album by attempting to put us in his shoes. It’s a dope track, co-produced by The Weeknd and co-opting a soulful hip-hop vibe that’s reminiscent of College Dropout-era Kanye. A great way to close out a dope album.
19 “The Motto” featuring Lil Wayne – B
The first of two bonus tracks, “The Motto” has Drizzy combining powers with Lil Wayne over a hyphy-influenced track. The song, which shouts out Bay Area legend Mac Dre, is comprised of boastful verses over heavy 808s and a throbbing bassline.
20 “Hate Sleeping Alone” – B-
The second bonus track is decidedly less melancholic than the rest of the album yet still find Drake pining for a young woman’s affections over atmospheric production. While the song is decent, there’s a reason it’s considered a bonus track instead of part of the album proper. Had it been left off, it wouldn’t have been missed.
Overall Grade: B+
Our Favorite Tracks: “Lord Knows,” “Make Me Proud,” “The Real Her”
Our Recommendation: BUY
Ultimately, Take Care succeeds because Drake has finally found his footing as an artist and is willing to give all of himself to his fans. Has he made a classic? Well, only time will tell. But one thing is certain: by finding a nice middle ground between the emotional resonance of So Far Gone and the commercial stylings of Thank Me Later, he’s created a style that is innovative and enthralling. If he continues to take care with each successive project, there’s no doubt that Drake will make music that will endure for years to come.
Looks like this year’s AMA’s were on par with usual expectations. We watch for the performances knowing that, in many cases, the deserved winners will still be sitting in their chairs watching someone else get the award they deserved. We were pretty surprised by several of the category results, but still wish to congratulate all of those that were nominated and those that ultimately won.
Regardless of the musical winners, it does look like Jennifer Hudson wowed the red carpet with her even more slimmed down bod. Go JHud! Represent!
For all of the emotions usually equated with death, Dwight “Heavy D” Myers’ funeral was billed as a celebration of the artist’s life. As such, it could not – and would not – be such a sad affair. As the mayor-elect of Heavy’s hometown of Mount Vernon, New York put it, “We are not here because Heavy D died. We are here because Heavy D lived.”
What became clear, from within the two overflowing halls of Mount Vernon’s Grace Baptist Church, was that Heavy D had touched countless lives – particularly in the hip-hop and African-American communities. Jay-Z, Usher, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, John Legend, Denzel Washington and Queen Latifah were spotted walking in; a list at one of the security check-ins included the names of Sony Music’s Chairman/CEO Doug Morris and Doug E. Fresh. Three Mount Vernon police officers sat down the row from BET President Stephen Hill. A woman and her daughter held a VIP pass from a concert Heavy D must have performed years ago, just as a cab driver had shown off photos of himself and Heavy from their shared high school days. “There’s stories on every corner of this city, of people he helped,” said the pastor, without exaggeration.
*Because of high public interest, the funeral service on – Friday, November 18 at 11am – for rapper/actor/producer Heavy D will be streamed LIVE via the website www.RememberHeavyD.com from Grace Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon, NY.
Rapper/producer/actor Heavy D, best known as the “Overweight Lover”, died of complications from pneumonia at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA on Tuesday, November 8th 2011 according to Heavy D’s brother, Floyd Myers. He was 44.
Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church, will officiate and deliver the eulogy, and words of greeting will be presented by Mount Vernon Mayor Clinton I. Young and Mount Vernon Mayor Elect Ernie Davis. Words of comfort will be presented by Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. W. Darin Moore, pastor of Greater Centennial AMEZ Church; and words of tribute by Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Musical tributes will be performed by R&B stars Anthony Hamilton, Johnny Gill and gospel singers Yolanda Adams and Kim Burrell.
LOCATION
Grace Baptist Church
One Grace Plaza
52 South Sixth Avenue (between first and second streets)
Mount Vernon, New York 10550
BACKGROUND:
Born on May 24, 1967, Dwight Errington Myers was one of six children born to Clifford and Eulahlee Myers of Mandeville, Jamaica. Dwight, known to the world as Heavy D and/or Hev had countless successes and accomplishments. For all who were fortunate to know Hev, they knew that not only did he captivate audiences around the world through his career-but it was the captivation of the hearts of his family, friends and fans that will be most remembered.
According to the family:
“Hev had great love for his family and friends; he was a kind and giving spirit who extended and shared himself with everyone who crossed his path. He had a heart of gold, was approachable, very personable and gave of himself willingly and unconditionally. Though Hev will most notably be remembered for his work both behind-the-scenes and in the forefront, he will always be remembered by us as a generous soul who remained humble and unselfish till his final days.”
In lieu of flowers the family is requesting that donations be made to the Heavy D and Xea Myers Fund:
C/O JP Morgan Chase
726 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10085
Checks payable to: The Heavy D and Xea Myers Fund
For Wire Donations:
Routing Number – 021000021
Account Number – 3003286568
Heavy D Information Line: 212-381-2037
Kanye West debuted his long-form music film Runaway on Saturday night. It was a dreamy mini-movie with lovely, light imagery and a heavy message — roughly speaking, people aren’t open-minded; they don’t accept what they don’t immediately understand. Take it as a metaphor for how West feels about the acceptance of not necessarily his music, but his public behavior (epitomized by the West-Taylor Swift VMA moment), and you probably wouldn’t be wrong.
It told the story of a phoenix (played by model Selita Ebanks) who falls to Earth in front of West’s car. West, playing a version of himself, tried to introduce her to a world that mystified her, and was mystified by her.
The West-directed Runaway used a heavily-saturated color palette; bright oranges, fiery reds, and lush forest-greens dominated. He lingered over his imagery, frequently slowing down the motion for us to observe the phoenix’s most causal gestures. In one bravura sequence, he included a red-dressed marching band that pulled along a giant papier-mache bust of Michael Jackson in its wake. West has said that Runaway contains nine songs from his forthcoming album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and supplies “visuals for all these songs that deserve videos.”
Late in Runaway, the phoenix speaks: “You know what I hate about your world? Anything that is different you try to change, you try to tear it down.” West’s visual and musical sophistication was constantly contrasted with images of the phoenix’s playful innocence, until she finally burst into flames and ascended back “to my world,” as she put it, leaving West’s character desperate, running down the road after her, left alone. Runaway aired simultaneously on MTV, MTV2, and BET; each channel inserted their commercials into Runaway in a cruelly abrupt manner that marred the flow of West’s film.
In an interview that aired immediately after Runaway, West referred to Fellini and Kubrick as influences, and the languidly assured tracking shots and framing in some scenes bore out those influences. He also said the phoenix’s crash paralleled the “crash of my career.” Sometimes it’s best for an artist to just let the work speak for itself.
Given how controversial West’s every artistic gesture seems to have become, I have a feeling we’ll be in for a round of dismissals of Runaway as a pretentious piece. Instead, it deserves to be seen as a carefully modulated art-film made by a man on a mission.
Gregory Porter, whose 2010 Motema Music debut, Water, was nominated in the 2011 53rd Annual Grammy Awards as Best Jazz Vocal Album, drops a powerful cinematic treatment of one of the CD‘s most popular tracks, “1960 What?.” This digital DJ promo features an international array of producers who have contributed to three remixes of the song. Swedish production wizard Opolopo‘s soulful House remix, a “kick and bass rerub,” is already burning up dance floors from Chicago to the UK, where it’s currently getting airplay on Jazz FM. Peter McEvilley, the LA-based producer and electronic music artist who works asPeas, has contributed a House mix, and the founder of Amsterdam‘s Wicked Jazz Sounds music collective, Phil Horneman, has contributed a Wicked Jazz Sounds radio edit, which clocks in at about half as long as the anthemic twelve-and-a-half minute long original version. The official videos for “Illusion” and “1960 What?” have a combined total of 40,000 YouTube views and will be aired on VH1.
According to TMZ, rapper beloved rapper Heavy D, who came to national fame in the late 80′s golden era of hip with his hit “Mr. Big Stuff”, has died at the very young age of 44.
Rap legend Heavy D – one of the most influential rappers of the ’90s — died earlier today … TMZ has learned.
Heavy D — real name Dwight Arrington Myers – was rushed to an L.A. hospital around noon today … and was pronounced dead at the hospital at 1 PM. He was 44 years old.
We’ve learned a 911 call was placed from Heavy’s Beverly Hills home around 11:25 AM to report an unconscious male on the walkway .
When help arrived, we’re told Heavy D was conscious and speaking — and was transported to a nearby hospital.
He died a short time later.
Cops are investigating the death — and so far, there are no obvious signs of foul play. Police are currently at the home.
We are deeply saddened by this loss. Heavy D was a pioneer and a true heavyweight in every sense of the word. He will be remembered as one of the rappers responsible for taking rap to the masses. His sound and energy were immediately popular and he will be sorely missed.
