NEW MUSIC!!! The Drought is OVER!

I had to drop this off.  This project is dynamite and you definitely want to go to this jump and download the entire project!  But just in case your, skeptical on Jarell Perry - here's an opportunity to stream it.


Maleek – yeah, I like this track. It has that easy going feel. And it only gives us a snippet of this young new thundercat in music, but it’s enough to make you think twice about finding more music by him. Hit play to see what I mean.




Shoutout to my bro!  Last week my bro RL from the group Next hit us off with a video of the single he put out and I'm proud of how hard he's working.  If you think he's been chillin' since "Butta Love", check his resume y'all.  Congratulations man, and we look forward to hearing more from you.



Y'all know I'm a fan of Dawn Richard!  She continues to be her, and she's winning in her own lane.  Give her major distribution and publicity - I truly believe that she's different and talented enough to take over.  Check out this one!



Go and download this at Travis Garland's website.  I'm not going to get into how great this project is or how phenomenal Travis is.  Just hit play and it'll speak for itself.  BY FAR... one of my favorite mixtapes of the year!

Everybody LOVE/HATE? Bey...

Although not a fan, I have a tremendous respect for Beyonce and her public relations team.  This blog entry is inspired by her latest track “Bow Down/Been On”.

Let’s talk about what the track is, first.  The song is ego-driven, southern fried dance joint.  It is atypical of the stereotypical (and often true) hood fantasy: make it out, talk about your success and throw it in your hater’s face.

Let’s talk about who Beyonce is… Beyonce is the premier pop female artist of the last 5 years.  She has managed to crank out hits that keep the radio waves, award shows, SuperBowls and yes – even inaugurations (YES.. plural!) abuzz with her presence.  As an artist, Beyonce is a creation of everything that is powerful, friendly, talented, feminine - and most importantly COMMODIFIABLE. She not only looks good, but she sings well.  Now whether or not you believe her talent as a writer or executive producer for anything, you can’t knock the way that she has allowed her persona to be bought, sold and traded internationally without people really knowing who Beyonce Gisele Knowles-Carter really is.  The only thing we know about her other than that she is a daughter, sister, mother and wife is what she chooses to share (and even she does that in style and for an HBO special, you too can see it! LOL).  She carefully releases pieces of herself because she doesn’t want you to confuse her PERSONA with her PERSON.  As a result, she is one of the most respected artists to date because her business is not daily morning news or blog reel exclusive.

Now – where the incongruence comes in: based on her history as a person, people are polarized by the track.  Either they love Bey for doing something different (which is in part false.  This is the southern extension of “Diva”. It’s just the hoodrat remix) all while saying she got it like that, even saying “bitch” a couple times.  Or they hate it because they feel like Bey can change music, be a greater voice and use her influence for something that is better than this.

It is my belief that the fans/stans of Bey that love it are just that: fans.  They are going to consume all that is Beyonce.  For those who are sucked in by the fame machine, they are just buying into the commodified image that is offered.  They are acting as perfect consumers – some more ignorant than others.  I can’t knock the ignorant ones because they are genuinely products of their environment.  They are given and accept what they are told to think.  And if you are fan, you choose to enjoy what she does because of your connection to her: not only is that a right, but it’s a conscious and informed decision. Those who vehemently disagree with this track usually throw in commentary of real musicianship, associations with the Obamas, and tainting her image as a performer.  

As a self-proclaimed music connoisseur, I have to look at this from a historical, social and musical aspect.  In fact, that’s what my master’s trained me for.  Geographically, Beyonce is from Houston.  And as a resident of the state of Texas – this music is high quality regional music.  You walk down the street in Oak Cliff (Dallas), South Dallas, 4^th Ward (Houston), and other relatively urban communities in Texas [with the appropriate tour guides] – you will find music JUST LIKE it.  Historically, this song did not fit within the realm of music that she has most recently been doing.  THAT – indicates that either she’s breaking a trend OR this was fun.  And I choose the latter.  WHY?! Bey’s camp is smart.  This was released for free online via blogs and her website.  Based on her previous behavior, she’s using this track to generate a buzz about something else.  BRILLIANT MARKETING.  Beyonce’s more strategic contributions to issues of social matter (in response to her relationships to the Obamas) are carried out philanthropically through corporations and charities.  She rarely addresses issues within her music because that’s not her niche as an artist. She has to do things that are widely commodifiable in order to maintain her position.  YES, she has a great deal of respect for the Obamas and they think highly of her too.  But lest we forget – Wayne, yes Lil’ Wayne whom the president says he has in his iPod (which is an endorsement, no matter how you look at it) a few months ago was publically vilified and crucified (and rightfully so) for his Emmitt Till line on the “Karate Chop” remix.  So we have to put things in perspective: Wayne made a error in judgment, Bey was a hoodrat for less than five minutes.    She said no more than what other artists have said before.  In fact, for a moment - I applauded her for being brazen and bold enough to put it out.  She could've chosen to keep it. 

For the musically astute – this was not a traditional music form.  This is a product based on artistic expression.  The “degredation” of music that some music elites constantly bark over existed LONG before Bey got on the scene.  With increases in technology that made producing music at the tip of someone’s fingers (enter stage right “Fruity Loops” and Soulja Boy), how we consume and experience music has FOREVER changed.  Expecting someone to change music everytime they open their mouth is an insurmountable task.   Asking Bey to be more cerebral and musically meticulous with every music release is the equivalent of asking rappers to spell check and use correct grammar/sentence structure to bring a greater form of consciousness to the art form.  What makes artistic expressions through forms of music such a universal experience is that it is meant to meet people wherever they are.   It doesn’t have to be cerebral: it’s okay to just wanna move without the intention of being prolific.

Either you accept/like the song or not.  But critiquing her and making her an American Culture/Musicology/Sociology assignment is POINTLESS.  Why?  Beyonce owns a realm she created.  And she makes one HELL of a living doing so.  She may not be among the greats in history that changed music, but she definitely is an Honorable Mention in changing how people experience music.  Like her or not – the girl is an entertainer.  R&B newcomer and writer extraordinaire, Tiyon Christian (better known as TC) said it best last week on twitter when he talked about Bey always winning because she never responds to the negativity like people want her to, and for that – she always wins.  TC… bro you are spot on.   And Bey… keep WINNING – even though I won’t be listening to that song again.  LOL!