Thursday, May 29, 2008

Not Dr. Ruth, Call Me Dr. Knockboot

Sex & Love Tips have arrived!

I told you about ASK WEEZY a few weeks back, and after an amazing shoot with him, the footage has been posted on VH1.COM. Choosing which questions to ask was a hilarious process , but they finally narrowed it down to 19 questions! I think his articulate, funny answers will surprise the hell out of you. And hearing my people I know ask them?... PRICELESS. LOL at audio from Stacey at #6 and #12, Edelston at #7 and #19, Sheneen at #14 and #17.

But most importantly,

I think you should check out #13...

I honestly HAD NO IDEA they used it until I just watched the clips TODAY, but someone you know may have been forced to write this question --- since they're a knowledgeable fan and stuff:

evELLEution, baby.

That's what this is all about ;)

See all of the questions and answers from Mr. "Please Say The Baby" HERE.

Stole Food From The Bears And Brought It Back To The Lions

There's so much going on in the world, you'd think I'd have ample blogging material. Nope. Instead, I'm pretty blank. In my defense, it's been a rough week (only 3 days in - after my 4-day weekend, no less). Luckily I've been in good company, and luckily, May is almost over. Just take a look at my Chronogram horoscope from this past month and tell me I'm not a soldier...

LEO (July 22-August 23):
Fair to say that over the past six months, you’ve faced some of your worst fears. You’re not only still alive, you have made it fully intact into a new season of your life. You’ve also come to terms with the essentially fearful nature of human emotions: We tend to be fixated on what can (and what we think will) go wrong, rather than what we know we can achieve. Unlike most people, you don’t tend to be negatively obsessed; rather, there seems to be a fearful thought that pops up and threatens your peace of mind. This is the tiger that you’ve been learning to flirt with. Large fears are made of small ones that have gone out of control. Doubts about the great matters in life are often related to small or seemingly insignificant insecurities. You have been taken on a grand tour of all of these states of mind, and, by now, the connections between the great and the petty should be obvious. Events over the next few weeks will reveal to you how potent your influence on the world is. You may find that people rebel against your strength or influence. Now, however, you can take it in stride, even as a compliment.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Posh Spice Husband Couldn't Kick It Like I Kick It

GO OUTSIDE! (S.W.P.L. #9)


And listen to Tha Carter III snippets.

Dr. Carter sounds like straight FIRE.
The "beat build, beat build" track?... yes.
Phone Home sounds real, real, real hard. Do the Weezy-Wee.
That "Please don't shoot me down, I'm flying" record... Flashing Lights of the album!
The girly track? Sounds good to me.
The beat for Mr. Carter is lovely....

*SIGH*

Thursday, May 22, 2008

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things


As if Saigon triumphantly leaving Atlantic wasn't good enough news, I just heard Kenna's remix for "Say Goodbye to Love" featuring the one and only, Mr. Lupe Fiasco. 

Umm, they're like two of my favorite boys...

That's like if MGMT did a song with Kanye, or if Gnarls had a remix with Wayne. Fiona Apple and Robin Thicke. Amy Winehouse and RZA. Lloyd and Jean Grae. Governor and Duffy.


featuring Lupe Fiasco


And in case you ignored the link above, trust me that taking the time to read 
Saigon's words 
is truly worth while, and I highly recommend doing so.

"Goodbye Atlantic Records, I dont know if it was systematic racism or the fact they didnt think they could break an artist with validity in his music who cares about the future of black children, but I guess we'll never know will we.....................???????????? So now you know why Ive been quiet the past year.. Ive been in battle with these people, and I WON."

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It

Me personally? NO, I haven't.

23 years-old and I never experimented with a player on my own team. Pretty sad considering the window for that obligatory college "experience" has timed out:( Oh well, I guess Zilla likes boys.
Unlike me, new artist
Katy Perry certainly has kissed a girl, and her song that talks about it is DOPE. So dope, in fact, that I wish I could relate more to the lyrics... but then again, if I liked the song anymore, I'd probably explode. I'm already dancing around to it in my room like an asshole. And I don't even like 80s music like that...

Listen to "I Kissed a Girl" or watch the video below:


PS- I kind of love her. 

She's the chick from the Gym Class Heroes "Cupid's Chokehold" video. I thought she was adorable then, and I'm happy to see her do her thing now.

In somewhat related news (I love it when my posts blend by accident!)...


I'm sure you've all heard that California changed their law in favor of the gays (YAY!), and now, the military is forced to fall in line too. It's about time... I mean, what year is it that gay people aren't allowed to protect the country? Either government officials are coming to their senses, or they're running out of troops and have no other choice!

Read the NPR article HERE.

Monday, May 19, 2008

You Can't Change a Player's Game in the 9th Inning

You heard about this?!?!?

Jason Giambi and his gold thong...

The Yankee slugger revealed Friday he slips on a gold lamé thong with a
flame-line waistband when he's trying to get out of a hitting slump - and he's
shared it with his teammates.

"It works every time," Giambi told the Daily News after his secret was outed on Portfolio.com.
Derek Jeter agreed that Giambi's thong works, although "it's so uncomfortable running around the bases."


Damon wears it too! Read the whole article HERE.

Thanks to AC for waking me up with this incredible news 
via bitter Met fan text message:

"Oh yeah Gold Thongs ???"


Sunday, May 18, 2008

My Cause is Noble, My Power is Pure

DJ Screenshot put me on to this Flobots song last month after he came back from LA (where it was exploding), but now that it's blowing up everywhere, I figure I might as well post it. LATE, I know...

Press PLAY to hear "Handlebars" below:



The nerd in me wants to write a paper on it, especially after a "chum" of mine made me look at it in a different way. It's not that deep, but I do like the concept: He's bragging and boasting like a little kid, but the topics get more mature and become extremely serious at the end. Ooof.

If You Love Me, Won't You Let Me Know

 Coldplay's video for "Violet Hill" leaked on Friday.


Watch it HERE, or if you're LATE, listen to the song HERE.

Friday, May 16, 2008

LIVE BLOG: MTV's Hottest MCs in The Game

I've never done a live blog before.

Let's see what happens...

Soulja Boy being on the list is ridiculous, but I understand why they have to pretend to almost add him. Ha! What’s his face just said that… Catering to the younger, impressionable audience, are we? It’s a vicous circle, MTV!!! But while Buttah’s argument re: the evolution of the game (considering digital sales and ringtones) is relevant in this debate, that still doesn’t mean that Soulja Boy makes the list!

In my humble opinion, all of this depends on WHAT KIND OF HIP HOP FAN YOU ARE, and what makes YOU (no pun intended) pay attention to the music. (Do you like a strong delivery? well-crafted lyrics? braggadocio? versatile flows? death threats? storytelling ability?...) On cue with this point of mine, Shaheem jumps in, bringing up lyrics (I hear Jay’s voice in the Roc Boys intro: “my man!”) It’s clear that Shaheem’s a lyrics-first hip hop fan, so he holds lyrical content very high on his list of hip hop standards. Me too.

On to TI and Andre 3000

Andre’s a superb MC, but is he relevant RIGHT NOW? I’m not so sure. And TI has been absent for a while, so that, coupled with the fact that he’s not nearly as good as Andre in the first place renders this argument silly. Soulja Boy gets officially axed. They put TI at #10, Andre at #9.

Watch SEGMENT I HERE.

Jeezy is now on the table. They also mention Lupe and Snoop.

I like Bridget. Always have. She brings up the fact that Jeezy’s style gets robbed by other rappers, and it’s a good point to keep in mind within this debate. Then she brings up how Lupe’s first album went over people’s heads, and that The Cool is more toned down for the masses. I agree! But WAIT: Now she’s saying that’s a bad thing, and that it made Lupe less hot. The goon fan in me sees her point, but my hopeful backpacker and flow-worshipping sides thinks that point is very, very wrong. Jeezy being on here confuses me, but that's another story.

Watch SEGMENT II:


Now they’re starting to discuss 50.

“Y'all don’t listen to mixtapes, man!” –Shaheem is getting angry! But he’s right: Elephant in the Sand was fiery. But the Curtis album? -not so much. Luckily for 50 Cent, he manages to keep himself relevant, never fully going away. Murder rap fans love him for his braggadocio, but isn’t his never going away a little more like a fly buzzing in your ear than a loyal pet taking up too much room on the bed? Think about it.

They’re showing a shot of the Top 10 board again. Why is Lupe below Snoop?! Because Snoop is a veteran, right? But aren’t we supposed to be focusing on RIGHT NOW? Sensual Seduction was incredible smash, but I’d wager that more people know songs and verses off Lupe’s album than they do off of Ego Trippin’. UGH. I wonder what Sickamore would say in this instance of old head bias. I know his music is still decent, but c’mon: Snoop is the wonderful past. And Lupe? He's the innovative future, whether you think his voice sounds gay or not.

Watch SEGMENT III HERE.

#8, 7, 6, 5...

I’m surprised he’s making this list, but they just brought up Rick Ross. I honestly don’t listen to him like that… he’s gross. (WOW- I’m starting to think that maybe I’m superficial when it comes to rappers’ looks.) I just always pegged “The Boss” as a fat pig who rapped about hustling. Almost anyone can do that! But they’re trying to say he does it well. He has style and flow!?!? They’re putting him as #4!?!?! I'm ignorant of his music, so I can't even comment. Even so, something still feels very wrong about this decision.

Jay is placed into the mix at #3. Kanye and Wayne are also mentioned as potentials for the top two slots. American Gangster was great, yes- but after seeing both Jigga and Kanye perform live in concert within a week of each other… umm, I’ma go with Ye over Jay. And my college friends call me Hovita, so you know I’m a serious Hov fan. To me, Kanye's performance this week was PIVOTAL for hip hop. And it makes me sad, but Jay's way less stellar performance is proof that he's getting old.

The panel is setting up a battle of Kanye vs. Wayne; lyrical upliftment vs. lyrical tomfoolery. Buttah brings up the valid point that Kanye has transcended hip hop and entered pop culture, making him a serious force to be reckoned with. And he’s right: Lyrics from Kanye’s I Wonder are the kind that made me fall in love with hip hop too. Unfortunately, goon fans who relate more to violence, drugs and hoes in lyrics might not agree with us on this one. Shaheem yells “LYRICS EQUAL LONGEVITY!” and I feel that - especially since I love analyzing meaning behind lyrics. But personally, I believe Wayne is capable of creating both forms of lyrical content equally. (Zilla just dropped a gem, so you should probably re-read this paragraph.) Kanye too, but maybe not as extreme.

Watch SEGMENT IIII:

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA. Timeout. Now they want to switch Wayne and Jay’s positioning, making Jay #2 since Wayne hasn’t released Tha Carter III?! BALDERDASH. Shaheem, we just broke up. Tuma shouts “The album is coming! The album is coming!” of Tha Carter III as if it’s "The Russians." Jay is NOT above Wayne right now, and again, I’m saying that as a lifelong Jay fan. I understand timing’s a bitch, but this is outrageous! If this Top 10 list was made in July, Wayne would be above Jay. No question. And while the elder Mr. Carter is certainly a legend, he needs to be on the golf course, making his Live Nation paper, and trying to avoid pulling a muscle. Go have babies with Beyonce or something... you could barely keep up while rapping your own songs at MSG!

Here's the final list:

  1. Kanye
  2. Jay-Z
  3. Lil' Wayne
  4. Rick Ross
  5. Snoop Dogg
  6. 50 Cent
  7. Lupe Fiasco
  8. Young Jeezy
  9. Andre 3000
  10. TI
(5/17) REFLECTIVE UPDATE:

So I slept on it, and I was going to do a re-cap "what I would have done" sermon, but I just checked NahRight and Eskay already did it for me, saying it EXACTLY as I thought it:
"I’m going to reserve comment until I can at least watch the show and hear why they put who they did where they did. But my initial thoughts are: get Ross and Jeezy off of there and move Lupe up and Snoop down (and maybe off too.)"

I Will NOT Lose

Mjeema told me she walked into work this morning, looked up, and saw "Michael."
No, not Jackson; Michael Lee. From
The Wire.
AKA Tristan, my little boy crush.

She saw THIS in the middle of (our front yard,) Times Square: 

It's pouring, so I didn't even look up when I got here his morning, but I will certainly grab a glimpse of my young boi on the next sunny day we get :)

Tristan Wilds for Rocawear:


He's also been cast in the 90210 spinoff that starts in the Fall.

And um, he's the male lead:

Still putting in work, I see!
Watch the trailer HERE.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

I Can Bend Metal With My Mind

My man is back...



This shit has "SMASH" written all over it.
xo

I'm A Star, How Can I Not Shine?

Glow in The Dark tour at MSG




If the pictures don't depict it well enough, I'll tell you right now that 
this concert blew me away. 
Whether you think he's arrogant or not, Kanye has revolutionized the game and delivered once again.

Performing "Can't Tell Me Nothin'":


Lupe performing "Streets On Fire"
N.E.R.D. performing "Rockstar" and "Lapdance"


Watch Diddy Thank Kanye 
for the show that made him fall back in love with hip hop:


BONUS:
Mary killed it. Jay has nothing on Kanye.

Zilla loves you, so she tells you the truth!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Butter For My Piece of Bun

She got tickets to see Lykke Li at Bowery last Thursday, and since she's the one who put me on in the first place, I owe Sara a coke. Lykke Li is one of the dopest artists I've seen in a while, and it was really fun to photograph her:




As far as her performance...

It's super dark, but here's "Little Bit." The lighting is better for "Tonight," but some animals were pushing me, so excuse the wobbledy-wobbledy.



-----Original Message----- From: Cxxxxxxxx, Sara 
Sent: Wed 5/14/08 2:00PM 
To: Zilla 
Subject: F*CK  
Oh gosh Perez discovered Lykke Li :( 
http://perezhilton.com/2008-05-13-watch-listen-to-this-one-to-watch-out-for





Duffy at The Apollo on Monday?




I'm not %100 sold on her performance skills, but her voice is pretty much flawless.
Thanks to Milly for coming with me :)


Tuesday, May 13, 2008

She Loves Everybodyyyyy

Admittedly, my blog game has been really weak this week. But it's only because I haven't found time to post my photos and video from recent shows! But stay tuned... Jay-Z, Lykke Li, Duffy and Kanye (& Lupe & Rihanna & N.E.R.D.) are all on the way.

Can't wait for tonight!






























In more music news, I really dig Chester French. A lot. You should too.













Flyleaf stopped by the office to perform for us today.
Watch their video for "All Around Me" below and then go spill some paint:

Monday, May 12, 2008

I Exposed Her To Real And Now She Hate Lame

Sorry to all my Atlantic folks, but I couldn't resist posting this. Shit is HILARIOUS.

Friday, May 9, 2008

This is The Start of a Journey


My favorite song on The Odd Couple has a video:


It's Kanye's favorite also :)

This is NOT the first time he and I shared the same taste.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Under Them Sheets, I Am A Mess

If you're having love or sex troubles,
go to Vh1.com and ASK WEEZY for some advice.


Just kidding -you don't have to do that- but yeah, he's really giving advice. Wayne's answers to questions posted in the comments section will be taped and released online over the next few weeks, so look forward to pure comedy.

And (of course) I'm absurdly excited for Tha Carter III, but seeing the potential track listing for the first time today... WOW... really put me over the edge. I'm ready.
  • 3 Peat
  • Mr. Carter (f. Jay-Z)
  • A Milli
  • Get Money (f. T-Pain)
  • "Comfortable" (f. Babyface)
  • Phone Home
  • Dr. Carter
  • Tie My Hands (f. Robin Thicke)
  • Shoot Me Down (f. D. Smih)
  • Playin' With Fire (f. Betty Wright)
  • Lollipop (f. Static Major)
  • L.A. (f. Brisco and Busta Rhymes)
  • Good Girl Gone Bad
  • You Ain't Got Nuthin' On Me (f. Fabolous & Juelz Santana)
  • Let The Beat Build
  • Whip It
  • Misunderstood
Kanye and Babyface helped Wayne murder "Comfortable" about a year ago, so we already know that's a solid track. "Lollipop" is a hit. "A Milli" serves it's purpose, and although I think there are too many of them, I'm looking forward to most of those feature tracks. I mean... Robin and Weezy reunited on a record called "Tie My Hands"???

Please say the baby.

Monday, May 5, 2008

I'm a War Child

Emmanuel Jal heals himself with music.


As a former child soldier for the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army, Jal is both star and guide of the film "War Child." I got to see the film on Sunday, catching the final day of the Tribeca Film Festival. Surviving his country's civil war, Jal has now become an international hip hop star, telling his story through lyrics and enchanting beats.

PRESS PLAY on the boombox below to hear his single:



Jal's album is on The Leak for MTVu starting tomorrow, and it appears he has a song entitled "50 Cent." I haven't heard it yet, but after seeing the footage of Jal holding an AK-47 at age 8, I assume the song is more of a commentary on Hip Hop thug imagery than an attack on 50. At least I hope so!

In the meantime, check out his Myspace page, or watch the movie trailer:


Sunday, May 4, 2008

We Get Together Like a Choir, To Acquire What We Desire





































































Life is Like Video Footage.

Watch Jay on change, repping Obama, and Beyonce shaking her ass:



Also, more "footage":