6.22.2011

The Light Of The Sun: After Further Review...

The Light Of The Sun On My Back
After Further Review...

Ok, so yesterday I purchased the new Jilly from Philly CD from Amazon, and I got the Deluxe version to get the extra bonus tracks.  My first listen of about 75% of the album was at work with headphones on.  I didn't have it up to loud (I hate when I can hear other people's music and they have on headphones) but I was just letting the CD ride.  No stopping, no looking at track names, just letting it go.  I wasn't impressed, nothing jumped out at me, it wasn't meeting my expectations of the CD.  But I knew I had to listen to it a little more thoroughly later, especially since I paid for it and it didn't mysteriously end up in my library of music from some unknown source.  But honestly even if it was garbage, I support artist that I like so I wouldn't have been too hurt by it. Hey, I've bought every Jay-Z CD he's put out including Kingdom Come and Blueprint 2, LOL. That was for some of my Jigga-Stans that I know.

But anyway back to my "After Further" review.  The 2nd and 3rd listens to this CD were in my car turned all the way up, with the windows up and the AC on to avoid any outside interferences.  I must say I completely enjoyed this CD and turned up loud so that you can feel her words and hear every bit of the beats is the only way this should be listened to.  Well aside from in the background during an intimate moment with your special someone, but hey that's up to you.

I will give this CD a 4.25 out of 5 based off of beats, lyrics, and overall vibe, its a really good CD and if you are a Jill Scott fan I think you will enjoy this CD.  As of right now I like every track except for two.  Those two I can listen to but I see myself skipping them in the near future.  All Cried Out with Doug E Fresh and Quick, maybe they are good songs but they don't fit the vibe that the rest of the CD was putting me in.  Quick does tell an interesting story but after I hear it once or twice I can skip it and keep my vibe going.  I even enjoy the two bonus tracks from the Amazon Deluxe version of the CD.  I'll say my favorites for right now, I can see this changing multiple times as I continue to listen, are So In Love, So Gone, Until Then, and Rolling Hills.

Its very normal for me to not like a CD the first time through but after a few listens in different environments and moods for me to completely flip it around and give the CD a high ranking.  That's how I felt about the Blueprint 3, I didn't like it at first but after awhile it grew on me and at the end of the day its worth at least 4.5 Mics.  Its very rare that I will like a CD at the beginning then dislike it later, I could get tired of it like I did with the Miseducation of Lauren Hill, but even if I get tired of it and can come back to it maybe once every few years and still enjoy it.

With this blogpost I completely retract my statement about "the new Jill Scott cd is just...Meh..." and go on record to say this is a well put together album and its more like "umm hmmm" and "oh yeah" and "umm umm umm" than it is "meh".

Enjoy Folks!

http://www.amazon.com/Light-Sun-Deluxe/dp/B0054JVKTW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1308752068&sr=8-2

6.15.2011

A DJ at Your Desk!!! For Free, FTW

DJ DUBLEE Your Personal DJ On The Go!


I gotta give a huge shout out to a fellow UMBC Alumni and the man that puts the mixes together that helps to get me though the day. Sure some of you go to Panadora and other streaming sites that play commercials and make mixes that you don't really understand, but DJ Dublee puts up mixes that are blended and scratched on just like you would hear at a club or happy hour to take your away from your cubical for a moment.

His mixes are high quality and free to stream or download to listen to later.  The music ranges from the Classic Soul, R&B, Neo Soul, Rap/Hip-Hop, Go-Go, Independent, Mainstream, practically anything you could possibly be looking for.  You can submit request and he'll throw the song(s) into a mix, you can search the history of his mixes to find a particular artist.

Below is a quick preview of his mixes over the past month, but I suggest you check out the site for yourself to browse some of the older mixes as well.  I guarantee you will find a mix that perfectly fits your mood for the day on any given occassion.  Right now I'm rockin to his Go-Go mix from May 4th.

Oh yeah did I mention its 100% free, the mixes can be downloaded and listened to whenever, and will work on Android/iPhone/iPad/Blackberry devices, what more can you ask for.  DJ Dublee is your personal & portable DJ! Enjoy People.

(Also you will notice that DJ Dublee clearly labels his mixes to let you know ahead of time whether there is any foul language in the mix)  
qtip1 copy The Love Unlimited Orchestra – I Wanna Stay Q-Tip – Vibrant Thing Beenie Man ft. Janet Jackson – Feel It Boy Ol’ Dirty Bastard ft. Kelis – Got Your Money Busta Rhymes – Do The Bus A Bus Babyface – There She Goes Kool & The Gang – Too Hot Coolio – Too Hot    A [...]

PM+Dawn+012762_11 copy    Soul II Soul – Keep On Moving Ralph Tresvant – Sensitivity Sybil – Don’t Make Me Over Janet Jackson – That’s The Way Love Goes PM Dawn – Set Adrift on Memory Bliss Suzanne Vega – Tom’s Diner Nikki D – Daddy’s Lil Girl Dwele – Find A Way Seal – Fly Like An [...]

ruff-ryders-artists-with-names copy Jay-Z & DMX – Money, Cash, H*** Snoop Dogg ft. C-Murder – Down For My Eve – What Yall Want Lil Kim – No Time For Fake Ones Swizz Beatz ft. Cassidy, JadaKiss, Snoop Dogg – Bigger Business Young Buck – Let Me In Cassidy ft. Mary J. Blige – I’m A Hustla Noreaga & [...]

Tre-Dot copy June Da Kid ft. Born Undadogz – Back Then K. Sparks – Hip Hop June Da Kid – My Choice Tonight Laelo Hood ft. Pro-Verb, Lyriciss – Cool Tree Gotti – Butter Ball Naked Tre-Dot ft. Kimia Colins – Keep On Hatin Bobby Creekwater – OJ Simpson Dugee F. Buller – I Burst Lega-C – [...]

TI copy T.I. – 24’s Juvenile & UTP – Nolia Clap T-Pain ft. Yung Joc – Snappin’ Bun B ft. Trey Songz, Mike Jones – Hold You Down Snoop Dogg ft. R. Kelly – That’s That Cam’ron – Touch It Or Not Styles P – Good Times Ice Cube – Today Was A Good Day Lil Boosie [...]

Shaquille O'Neal Portrait After an outstanding carreer, Shaquille O’neal retires after 19 seasons as being one of the most dominating players to ever play the game. Shaq accumulate four championship rings through out his career and also recorded four albums. Here is a mix I put together with some of my favorite Shaq songs sprinkled in! Shaquille O’neal [...]
rick_ross_575 copy Meek Mill ft. Rick Ross – Tupac Back YC – Racks Drake ft. Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled – I’m On One Dirty Money ft. Trey Songz, Diddy – Your Love Lil Wayne ft. Rick Ross – John Rihanna – Man Down Jerimiah ft. 50 Cent – Down On Me Trey Songz ft. Drake [...]

WillSmith_Summertime copy Kool and The Gang – Summer Madness Will Smith – Summertime Beyonce ft. Ghostface Killah – Summertime Travis Porter – Bring It Back David Banner – Play Ray J ft. Lil Kim – Wait A Minute Gyptian ft. Nicki Minaj – Hold Yuh Beenie Man – Drinking Rum Mad Lion – Take It Easy Notorious [...]


Life Is Good...and NaSTY


As a NaS fan it excites me to say that we are on the verge of witnessing the 10th studio album from NaS, entitled "Life Is Good". This number doesn't include any compilations or collaboration albums that he's put out which would include 6 other albums.  Not many legit rappers come to mind that have done this and have had consistant success and attention brought to each release.  I'm a realist and I won't say every cd is a classic but even the albums that were called flops, duds, rated subpar (subpar for NaS but well over par for most rappers in the game), or misguided albums all had hidden jewels that any Hip-Hop fan can not deny.  But we can all say the majority of his albums were great and have added a lot to Hip-Hop.

Other rappers that come to mind who dropped 10 studio albums and remained a legit force in the game, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, and LL Cool J, with an Honorable Mentions to Scarface & Ice Cube (I thought both had 10+ but surprisingly they both are currently at #9).  Granted others have done it, KRS-One, Too $hort, E-40, Master P, to name a few.  But I can't say that there are many other than the first three that I mentioned and the 2 honorable mentions that I can say that every album was a big deal from coast to coast to hiphop fans, to hiphop artist, and to music lovers in general.  Tupac would've been on this list if he were alive (I'm not going to count the albums that labels put out after his death).  I'm not sure if Biggie would be at 10 by this point just given the fact that he only dropped 2 studio albums from 93 to 97.  But who knows he might've switch labels, picked up the pace, and started dropping yearly albums like his protégé, now mentor to many, Jay-Z.

But back to NaS, congrats on this great staple in your career. So far what I have heard about this album and the one single from this album sound very promising. His 1st and his 5th album are certified (by the Source Magazine) as Classics, and from what I've heard the 10th album has the groudwork laid out to follow suit.

Below you will find a paragraph come wikipedia talking about "Life Is Good" and "Lost Tapes 2", followed by the new Single "Nasty", a link to download, and the lyrics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nas
2010-Present: The Lost Tapes Pt. 2 and Life is Good
On September 15, 2010 Nas announced on his Twitter "It's coming... LOST TAPES VOLUME TWO!!!". However, The Lost Tapes Vol. 2 wasn't released by the end of the year, and regarding the release of the compilation album Nas stated in an interview with MTV: "Because I kind of lost time, I really wanted to release [the album] in December, But I'm starting my next album. So I feel like I'll probably give 'The Lost Tapes' as a deluxe, maybe, on the next album for free. I'm trying to figure that out now". Nas has now scrapped "The Lost Tapes Vol. 2", due to miscommunication with Def Jam

Speaking about his upcoming tenth studio album, Nas called the album a "magic moment" in his rap career while mentioning that Swizz Beatz, DJ Premier, The Alchemist, Dr. Dre, Kanye West and RZA are possible producers on the LP. "A Milli" producer Bangladesh revealed that he produced some tracks for the album. Kane Beatz revealed he had recently worked with Nas. OFWGKTA member Frank Ocean has been confirmed to feature on Nas' tenth album.[citation needed] It was confirmed in May 2011 that his new album would be titled "Life Is Good" collaborating with Mobb Deep.

NaS - Nasty | Dowload Here


Nasty

Word
Got some Remy Martin, some good-ass cigars
Check it out

Ayo, late night, candlelight, fiend wit’ diesel in his needle
Queensbridge leader, no equal, I come from the Wheel of Ezekiel
To pop thousand-dollar bottles of scotch, smoke pot, and heal the people
Any rebuttal to what I utter get box-cuttered
Count how many bad honeys I slut, it’s a high number
Name a nigga under the same sky that I’m under
Who gets money, remain fly, yeah, I wonder
Eyes flutter as love when Nas pops up
Stars get starstruck, panties start drippin’
The ways of Carlito, blaze, torpedo cigars
Drop moves, hoes drop clothes
Louis the XIII freaks, women nice size
I ride like Porsches, thick, brown and gorgeous
It ain’t my fault, semiautomatic weapons
I brought the world “Crazy,” I’m rich and I’m girl-crazy

Dick ‘em, convince ‘em all to praise me
They ideology is confusion, I lose ‘em
Fellates me, who hate me? My gun off safety
Since a Tunnel escape key, my jewelry in HD

Silent rage, pristine in my vintage shades
I’m not in the winters of my life or the beginner stage, I am the dragon
Maserati, pumpin’ Biggie, the great legend
Blastin’, I’m after the actress who played Faith Evans
My little Jackie Onassis, dig?
I’m so high, I never land like Mike Jackson’s crib
Best on .45, still crack ya rib sacrilege
When lids talk trash about the nasty kid
Past nasty now, I’m gross and repulsive
Talk money, is you jokin’? Cash everywhere, in my bank, in the sofa
In the walls, in the cars, in my wallet, in my pocket
On the floors, ceiling, the safe, bitch
I got all you envy, but don’t offend
I’m skinny, but still I’m too big for a Bentley
You are your car, what could represent?
Too Godly to be a Bugatti, you honestly
Must design me somethin’ Tommy Mottonic from Queens had before the ’90s
Drug dealer call, rush to the bar
Move, niggas, we don’t give a fuck who you are
Black card heavy like a magnet, in my stitched denims
Pretty women see them them saggin’
Bet a hundred stacks, niggas’ll run it back
Just havin’ fun, I ain’t even begun to black
Light another blunt in fact

(Nasty)
Nasty kid
(Nasty)
Yeah
(Nasty)
The kid!
(Nasty)
Nasty kid

For the hustlers, thick as yellow bitches for the suck of it
Got a bunch of niggas in prison braggin’, sayin’ “It was Nas I used to hustle wit’”
I display fashions while my lungs engage hashes, guns on my waist past his
Since I’m cakin’ up, put funds in my safe, laughin’
And joining the niggas passin’ you niggas was straight assin’
Excuse the vulgarity, I’m still not fully adjusted
Or used to the new fans hearin’ me spit rapidly
I never see the whips niggas be claimin’ they drivin’
I guess entertainment means blatantly lyin’
Fake it ’til you make it, I’ve driven those toys
Been in the wars, in the streets, cops kickin’ in doors
For my deen niggas, your flow cheap as limousine liquor
I’m no fake rap CD listener, sit back and roll a mean swisher
For my Gs, tell these clowns make room for the king, nigga

6.04.2011

Test Driving These Puppies at the Dominion of Kings

So I went ahead and bought a pair of the five fingers shoes and I'm going to test them out today at Kings Dominion.  So I'll be doing a lot of walking and some water activities. The plan is for these to be my excursion shoes on my upcoming cruise and if this pair works out then I will probably get a black pair too so that I can match up with whatever outfit I might have on for the day.  Also since they are cross trainers in hope to be able to work out and do my cardio in these shoes at some point.

The salesman definitely said your feet will feel like you body feels after you workout for the first time in months. So I expect to be sore but for the greater good... I guess.

The great thing about REI, the place I bought these from, is that they have like a two month return policy. No matter if the shoes are worn or not, if i don like them or feel they just aren't for me, I can just return them at anytime and get a full refund.

If you plan on buying a pair I definitely suggest going to a store and getting sized up then trying on a pair.  I'm told they are like fitted caps where a size in one style might not fit like the same size in another style. The sizes are also European so my usual 10 turned out to be a 42.

For more info and specs on them go to the REI website.  They have specs and user reviews and you will notice that there are a few styles to choose from. You will have to figure out which ones best suit your needs or wants from the shoe.

I'll update this at some point later to say whatever these did or didn't work out for me.