Can't Stop Havin' These Visions...

Fred Hart, a student at University of Arizona (Fine Arts) made a series of song covers for Kanye's 808s and Heartbreak. They blew me away and I had to post my favorites:

Amazing. Truly. And there are more!
Jacked from Boz (thank you!), via GWHH.

You'll Never Find Nobody Better Than Me

We all have certain songs that we associate - by choice or by accident - with relationships, sex, and love. Maxwell's "A Woman's Worth," Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know," Adina Howard's "Freak," and Keith Sweat's "Make It Last Forever" are just a few examples... I'm sure you all have many more, with stories too!

After reading "Love in the Time of Darwinism," an article by City Journal's Kay S. Hymowitz, I was inspired to reintroduce my music blogger self to my Carrie Bradshaw self: earlier this year, we tackled the topic of open marriage together, so why not back-track and collaborate on the chaotic world of contemporary dating? The Darwinism article defines itself as "a report from the chaotic postfeminist dating scene, where only the strong survive," and provides a thorough evaluation of what both males and females go through as participants in the ever-evolving process. Let's start with some male perspective:

"The woman may be hoping for a hookup, but she may also be looking for a husband, a co-parent, a sperm donor, a relationship, a threesome, or a temporary place to live. She may want one thing in November and another by Christmas. 'I’ve gone through phases in my life where I bounce between serial monogamy, Very Serious Relationships and extremely casual sex,' writes Megan Carpentier on Jezebel, a popular website for young women. 'I’ve slept next to guys on the first date, had sex on the first date, allowed no more than a cheek kiss, dispensed with the date-concept altogether after kissing the guy on the way to his car, fucked a couple of close friends and, more rarely, slept with a guy I didn’t care if I ever saw again.' Okay, wonders the ordinary guy with only middling psychic powers, which is it tonight?"

I guess that is rough to deal with, but NEWFLASH gentlemen: the ladies deal with it too! Men change their minds and send just as many mixed-signals as women do. It's human nature! In high school, I added the acronym BBD to my verbal arsenal - the Bigger Better Deal - representing the idea that people constantly want to upgrade their mate. AKA Darwinism, our inherent/biological desire to evolve (right, Boz?). Now, mix that madness with the current social climate, where technology plays such a large role in our day-to-day communication, and it's like adding yet another log to a fire that's already out of control...

"Women complain that instead of calling to ask them out, or even make plans for a date, men simply text, 'Heading downtown. Where r u?' as they walk to the subway. That may be deliberate. 'There is no longer any reason to answer the phone when a woman calls you or return her call when she leaves you a message,' insists one dating pro at World of Seduction. 'What should you do? Text message, of course.' Text messages, he argues, deflect unnecessary personal involvement and keep women on edge. Game goes even further, actually encouraging men to 'neg' their 'target' women—that is, to undermine their confidence subtly by ignoring or mildly insulting them. The hotter the woman, the more essential it is to neg her."

Awesome. SMH- but I'm not even mad! Although I believe I'm more direct and honest than most girls when it comes to communicating, I too am guilty of playing into these kinds of strategic tactics. But is it our fault, or a result of the technology? What came first- the chicken or the egg? All of these relationship woes leave so much to be discussed, which, if you ask me, brings it all back to the music. And since this blog serves as the soundtrack to current events, applying music to dating is no big feat. 808s and Heartbreak? - Literally. Good album title Kanye. Very fitting for my theme...

Kanye West "Heartless"

Dealing with some wishy-washy relationship drama, Ye asks his lady "how could you be so heartless?!" And who knows. Maybe she's a soul thief like he claims, or maybe his actions have worn her down to nothing. We'll probably never know.

Solange "T.O.N.Y"

Open and unapologetic in her lyrics, Solange lets us into her seemingly insecure world after a one night stand. "He wasn't just a regular guy," she claims, simultaneously noting her stubbornness- "but I still refuse to call his ass!" She said it herself: Damn this would make a real good song. PS- I'm loving the Kid Cudi and Cee-Lo cameos!

Lastly, and certainly not new to The Labyrinth,

Lykke Li "Little Bit"

Showing us that there are degrees of her devotion, Lykke admits that she's only a "little bit" in love. She'll even forget about her "tainted heart" as long as her boo reciprocates her legit, lukewarm feelings.

Apparently, Toronto MC Drake appreciated the "Little Bit" record... he hopped on it, pause, to sing and rhyme- leaking his version last week. Listen to it HERE.

I would do it

Push button

Pull trigger

Climb mountain

Thanks to Shamz for the link.

Are you the BBD, or are you looking for one? Or both?!? The more I listen to relationship-inspired music, the more I'm realizing that everyone's a mess! So if we're all confused, and it's a Darwinian rat race, and technology is warping and re-writing our paths of communication, how is a dater supposed to survive?

Gettin' Out My Dreams...

Terrence Howard, 

now a singer-songwriter, performed at Joe's Pub last Thursday...

Here he is, first telling the story behind the song, and then singing 

"Love Makes You Beautiful":

I was lucky enough to have great company for the show, and frankly, Terry's not bad. He sold Milly, and that's hard to do!

But last night was another kind of evening...

 Big Sean, KiD CuDi, and Consequence were on the bill, and 88 Keys, Termanology, and Mickey Factz all stopped by The Knitting Factory. I had never seen Mickey perform, and I have to admit, he goes innnn.

Here's CuDi performing "Is There Any Love"...

I wasn't going to record anything until I got a better camera, but I thought Wale was going to surface here and do his verse. No such luck :( In any event, the visual might not be the best, but the audio never does me wrong... you can really hear him (at the end) singing! The dude is trying to transition from rapper to rapper/vocalist- and Zilla thinks he might win.

After I left, Kanye and Q-Tip came out, and things got crazy in the itty-bitty Knitting Factory. It was clearly a good night for G.O.O.D. Music.

(Kanye footage from Subconscious Threads)

Like Eating Glass

...That's what 4 days of a sore throat and a 102 degree fever feel like.

I haven't been as sick as I was in Chicago in five years. On my death bed, I convinced myself to man-up; there was no way I'd come all the way there and couldn't enjoy my Lollapalooza weekend. Although it was impossible to do all the magical activities that my expectations had conjured up, I managed to catch the shows that were priorities, and have unforgettable quality time with one of my best friends from high school.

Day 1: 

Bloc Party still holds my heart in their hands...

"Like Eating Glass"

Radiohead brought the crowd and a crazy light show...

Watch this:

Day 2: 

After InnerPartySystem and Foals, we went to the Myspace stage to see MGMT. I started shooting "Of Moons, Birds & Monsters" when a stupid crowd surfer came along...

You know how he made me feel?...

But meeting Airforce Amy made me feel better!

PS- Lupe was fun, too.

Day 3: 

Gnarls' performance was great. I ran into DangerMouse at a restaurant the night before, and took it as a little free-be donation from the universe since I was so sick. I texted my cousin to brag, and he wrote back: "Awww! Add blog entry- I GAVE DANGER MOUSE THE FLU."

After the Gnarls show, Kenna came out and performed "Out of Control" with Mark Ronson.

Kanye closed the show... I was excited to see his energy with the hometown crowd. In this clip, he gets personal on multiple levels, first addressing Chicago, and then talking about his mother who passed. Very intense during the second half...

I put on for my city.

Besides hosting music, festivals like Lollapalooza provide a great opportunity for people to display their individuality. 

Some folks show off tattoos and break out their coolest t-shirts:
I had no idea MechaGodzilla existed until now.

This was my favorite. Never Forget!

Corny overall, but the puma's funny.

For these special kids, it was wear-a-Jordan-jersey-with-your-BFF day:

And for the record: 

Hip Hop did not save my life - Dayquil did.
As did Alex, with this impromptu pizza shop dance party the first night:

The kid dancing with her is a stranger. This was just spontaneous dancing...

I can't decide if these are better than Boz's cartwheels in New Orleans or not...

But FYI, this is why I love Alex. Always and forever.
XO

Live From The Five Hundred and Four

Being in the New Orleans Superdome for the Essence Music Festival this weekend was strange considering everything that happened during Katrina (with no FEMA), but the Saturday shows we attended were pretty choice:

Dwele singing his hook to "Flashing Lights":

Not sure which I like better: Boz's "wooo!" at :14 seconds in, or Lisa at the very, very end declaring "That was wack!"

Kanye performing "Good Morning":

Yes, it was morning... he didn't hit the stage until after midnight. And he's over-styled. Wearing... too much... stuff.

Chris Brown demonstrating his hip talents:

Not sure how I feel about it. He's adorable, but he's also 19.

Kanye performing "Put On" and "Lollipop Remix":

You can hear Shana get upset when he fumbled the entrance.

Chris Brown performing his "A Milli" remix:

Another Wayne remix... go figure.

Kanye performing "Get 'Em High":

Love the vocal distortion.

J. Holiday performing "Pimp In Me":

Beautiful song, and he murdered it.

Sorry, I didn't take any Rihanna footage because I'm not on it like that.

Instead, please enjoy

Boz doing cartwheels

in the hotel after one too many hand grenades:

CLASSIC.

melvinb33: where is ur cartwheel?

And a BIG THANK YOU to Dela for hooking us up!!!

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:

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

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:

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

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'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:

Footage from Jay and Mary last week is now posted.

Mary killed it. Jay has nothing on Kanye.

Zilla loves you, so she tells you the truth!

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:

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

The Way Kathy Lee Needed Regis

I haven't lifted anything from Kanye's blog in a while, so I don't feel too bad about borrowing this photo. Apparently, it's a piece from a contemporary museum exhibit in Italy called "Goods and Gods: Spirituality and Mass Confusion."

Jesus made of bogies? I love it. Obviously.

I also love Wayne's Carter III album cover.

Cute and alarming... at the same time. Genius.
I really want to know whose idea this was.

And FYI... I may have taken a break from discussing Wayne for a little while now, but only because I was catching such grief from people who thoroughly dislike him. But eff all that! The countdown is on... June 10th, folks. I just hope he doesn't disappoint me.

I Never Thought That You Would Take It This Far

We'll talk about this later...

...in depth though.

UPDATED 2/17:

Kanye got us thinking with this one.  

Why is she killing him? Why did she burn her clothes beforehand? What did he do to her in the first place? I'd love to hear Kanye's actual intentions for it. He's 4 for 4 with visually incredible videos on this project, but this is clearly the most vague and intense of the bunch. What did he want to achieve with Flashing Lights? Did he want us to be confused? Did he want to make us uncomfortable? Did he just want to showcase a phenomenal female figure?

From an artistic perspective, the fact that the video is so random only makes me like it more. F Deez thought that maybe the woman represents the industry or fame, and she is, thus, "killing" Kanye. Shateema thought that maybe Kanye was respectfully nodding at death - showing us how he'd like to "sleep" since he's recently mentioned seeing his mother in his dreams. I have no idea. I'm just shocked that MTV and BET got the "okay" from Standards to play this booty-showing, pyro-inspiring, murder novella.