The 2014 BET Awards aired this past Sunday (6.29) and I’ve been waiting to give my take on the show for this edition of This Week In Music. Now I did NOT watch the entire show and I kept up with what was going on via Instagram but we will get into the winners that I chose in a previous post and my take on the performances. My initial post pre-BET awards were My Picks. To make it easier and to save from typing, I compared my pick to the actual winner. I didn’t do too shabby:
It’s been nearly a decade, 2005 to be exact, since the first collab between Jim Jones and Trey Songz, ‘Summer Wit Miami’. Since then they have had a few more: ‘Fly Together’‘Cocaine’, and ‘No Drama’.
There’s been a LOT going on this week, hence why my posts have been sparse, but as always welcome to another edition of This Week In Music. Let’s jump to chart news quickly. Please be sure to click links that’ll take you directly to the album/track.
As for the Billboard 200, Jack White’s Lazarettocame in at #1, Miranda Lambert (Platinum) moved to #2, and Frozen is in at #3. Iggy Azalea’s, ‘Fancy‘, is still atop the Hot 100 for 4th week and ‘Problem‘ still sits in at #2. Magic!’s, ‘Rude‘, moves up for spots to #3. Over on Billboard you can vote in the 2014 Mid-Year Music Poll. Click here to do so.
Back to Iggy Azalea for a moment, she is very busy on the charts and not just the pop one. She’s teamed with Hustle Gang General, T.I., for their latest collab ‘No Mediocre‘. I reviewed the track, but be sure to check out the video below. As for my thoughts, it was okay; nothing special.
Keeping along the lines of new videos this week, Trey Songz has released a new video for yet another single off Trigga titled, ‘Foreign’. I wasn’t really expecting to like this song as much as I do, but it’s catchy, the beat is there, and Trey Songz in the video is a major plus. The video starts the same as his ‘SmartPhones‘ video did and then he heads to a video shoot where he dances around with various women which matches every word he says, he likes his women foreign. Check out the video below. Trigga hits stores/online July 1st.
Mary J. Blige released two videos this week in support of the Think Like a Man Too Soundtrack. The soundtrack features 14 original songs from Mary J. Blige. The first video released was the cover of Shalamar’s ‘A Night to Remember’. The video featured a cameo from style ICON, June Ambrose. Then there’s the video for ‘Suitcase’ which was AMAZING! I’m very happy about this MJB compilation and YES a ‘My Top 5’ will be coming soon. Check out both videos below:
Now switching gears a little bit let’s get into TWO biopics that will be coming soon, well in 2015. The first is that of N.W.A.titled Straight Outta Compton. Dr. Dre will be played by Corey Hawkins, Cube by his son O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Eazy E by Jason Mitchell. The film will be directed by Gary Gray, production starts this summer, and is set to hit theaters August 14, 2015.
Moving on to the next biopic and one of the most controversial stories of the week is that of Zendaya Coleman begin casted to play Aaliyah in the upcoming biopic about her life. Now the controversy is that Zendaya is not ‘black enough’ to play Aaliyah. No her skin tone is not spot on to that of Aaliyah’s but it just utterly rude to make a comment as such. Personally, I feel the same way about Aaliyah having a biopic straight to TV (Lifetime) as I am with Whitney Houston’s going straight to TV. Artist of a certain caliber need to go to a theater. Even if it’s for a few private screenings, etc.,I think a movie screening is appropriate as well. Now Aaliyah’s family is fighting the production of this film not as far as casting, but as far as the movie not being on a theatrical level yet being put straight to TV. Aaliyah’s family is very territorial over her name, as they should be, BUT if this movie is gong to be stopped for going to Lifetime it’d be great to get one in theaters sometime soon.
Lastly, it all comes down to the HEADLINE for me of the week: ‘Angie Martinez Resigns from Hot 97’. after studying broadcast journalism, primarily radio, throughout college I’ve been obsessed with the formation of radio and my favorites have always been Wendy Williams and Angie Martinez. I loved that Wendy Williams asked any and everything not caring and not holding back and then there was Angie Martinez who was like every superstars friend as her essence just radiated that. After 25 years on Hot 97 and the past 15 as the Voice of NY from 3pm-7pm (The Angie Martinez Show), she has resigned and moved on to RIVAL Power 105.1. Her friends at Hot 97 seem to understand,I mean not that they have a choice. The difference between Hot 97 is like comparing it to that of a local grocery store and Walmart. There’s local attention then theirs global. Moving from Hot 97 to Power 105.1 expands Angie Martinez’s brand as its owned by Clear Channel. No word on her start date just yet, but she’ll be taking over the 2pm spot currently held by DJ Prostyle and then she’ll be on the sister station Miami’s 103.5 FM (The Beat of Miami). Congrats to Angie for making such a huge move.
There’s been a lot of releases the past couple days that I’ve decided to just put them all in one post of yet another track overload. Let’s get to it.
First up, Mary J. Blige. She recently released a track titled ‘Suitcase’ and she’s back with a cover of Shalamar’s ‘A Night to Remember’ for the Think Like a Man Too soundtrack. I like the vibe of it, but it doesn’t compare to that of the original. I do like this though and I can’t wait to hear what else is on the soundtrack. Last soundtrack I fell in love with John Legend’s, ‘Tonight (Best You Ever Had)’. Check out Mary J.’s rendition below:
On top of that Mary released another track off the soundtrack titled ‘Moment of Love’ and I LOVE IT! I’d rather hear this from Mary than the typical heartbreak music. I love the vibe of this and this also trumps her cover of ‘A Night to Remember’. The soundtrack drops June 17th and is set to feature 14 Mary J. songs. Is this considered a NEW Mary J. album? I really can’t wait to hear the soundtrack in its entirety.
Trey Songz is gearing up for to release his sixth studio album, Trigga, July 1st. Yup, lest than a month already. He’s back with a track titled ‘What’s Best for You’ and this is the Trey Songz I LOVE! I’m not really a fan of Trigga, I prefer Trey. I don’t need the strip club songs and songs that aren’t up to par lyrically. I love the vibe of this and reminds me a lot of Trey Day. Trey’s released a mix of material lately, I’m just interested in hearing what the total package sounds like. Take a listen below:
Amerie is back, but not as Amerie. AMERIIE is her new stage name and I’m not sure why the extra ‘I’ was added. Her comeback track, ‘What I Want’, is NOT what I want. I don’t like it whatsoever. The beat samples Sugar Hill Gang’s ‘Apache (Jump On It), but I just can’t get with this track. I don’t like how it sounds, lyrically it’s bleh and vocally Amerie is so much better. I guess she could’ve been going along the lines of trying to recreate ‘One Thing’, but this just isn’t it. It’s hard to come back in this industry. This just is NOT the comeback track for Ameriie. Again, still not sure what’s up with the extra ‘I’. Check out the track below:
There’s been quite a bit of new tracks released this past week and I thought what better way to give my input on all of them than just to do a MASSIVe post with new music & my thoughts. Sounds good? Great. Here we go.
So there’s been a fe remixes released this week. I won’t go in depth with a review of those so just check those out below: ‘Loyal (Chris Brown) ‘ , ‘Yayo’ (Snootie Wild) , and ‘Up Down’ (T-Pain).
It’s been seven years since T-Pain has hit the music scene and his signature is all about clubs & liquor. His new track, ‘Drankin Patna’, is a bit slower than ‘Up Down’ and of course it’s auto tuned infused. The song overall is ok. I’m just SO OVER the strip club songs that hit the radio waves. I will say that T-Pain has stay true to the music he produces solo wise. Lyrically it’s nothing special.
I recently reviewed Trey Songz new video, ‘Smartphones’, and as he gears up to release his sixth studio album he’s back with another track ‘Foreign’. Now I hated ‘Na Na’. It’s annoying after awhile and lyrically Trey can do better. Then came ‘Smartphones’ which I actually like. I prefer ballads from Trey Songz. Now he’s up to bat with ‘Foreign’ and eh, it’s a toss up for me. I’m just not feeling the direction that this project is going. Lyrically he could do SO MUCH BETTER! I like the beat though. Anyway, his album Trigga is set to be released July 1st and when you pre-order it on iTunes you’ll get ‘Na Na’, ‘Smartphones’, ‘Foreign’, and ‘Change Your Mind’.
Now I haven’t liked a song that Mariah has put out, but her new one is catchy and sure to be a radio fave. ‘Thirsty’ features Rich Homie Quan. It reminds me a lot of ‘Obsessed’ as far as concept. It sure fits this day in time with thirsty being the catchphrase. Listening past the lyrics I really like this beat. I really like this one. If you’re not interested in hearing Rich Homie Quan there is a version without him. I prefer it without him. This song is a bit of a reach for Mariah as she is really trying to get back on the airwaves which makes sense due to the lack of buzz around ‘#Beautiful’ and ‘You’re Mine’. Could this be what gets her there? Yes. Is Mariah a better artist than this? Yes. Am I looking for something more on her album? YES!
If that wasn’t enough Mariah released another rapper-assisted track, ‘You Don’t Know What To Do’ , this time alongside MMG’s Wale. This one has an old and new school feel. She debuted this live on the Today Show as a part of their summer concert series and vocally she sounded good, at certain spots. The performance wasn’t a great representation vocally as the studio version overpowered in many instances. This one is cool, but I like ‘Thirsty’ more. I’m interested in hearing the flow on her album. Me. I am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse hits stores May 27th.
M.I.A. released her remix to Beyonce’s ‘Flawless’ after tweeting.
Beyonce camp has not replied for months > SO HERE >
‘Baddygal’ is so M.I.A. and I’m happy she released this. Great track and THAT BEAT is dope. I love this!
Now for the RACHET release of the week: Tiny & Shekinah. Yes you read it right, Tiny & Shekinah. Now Tiny is a reputable artist in her own right and Shekinah is a great hairstylist in the A. They’re best friends, you can catch their antics on “T.I. & Tiny: Family Hustle”. I never dreamed of these two getting on a track together. The tile? ‘Cut It Off’. I know that releasing music can be out of fun, to get a buzz, get a check, etc. Lyrically, come on. I find it quite funny, especially the hook.
It ain’t nothing to cut that d*** off.
Danity Kane has FINALLY released a new track. I quickly posted it a couple days ago, but never gave my take on it. First off, yes the group has gone initially from 5, to 4, and now 3 (Shannon, Aubrey, Dawn). Aundrea has announced her departure from the group which was to enjoy starting a family with her new fiancé. Congrats to her for that. DK3 released ‘Lemonade’ and samples Clipse ‘Grindin’ and in certain spots sounds like Eve’s ‘Who’s That Girl’. I like this and I can’t wait to hear more. I absolutely love Danity Kane and I really can’t wait to hear more. Nice track for a buzz.
Ariana Grande is back with yet another new track as her collab with Iggy Azalea, ‘Problem‘, storms the airwaves. ‘Boyfriend Material’ sounds a lot like Duffy’s ‘Mercy’, beat wise, and is a contrast to ‘Problem’. I will say that I like her original release ‘I Love The Way’ more than this one, but this beat works great with her voice. It doesn’t sound like she’s straining to sing. I’m interested in hearing how her debut album turns out.
Mustard on the beat hoe
DJ Mustard recently released a track off his upcoming debut, 10 Summers, but that doesn’t stop him from making beats. Jeremih gets one this time around on this track ‘Don’t Tell ‘Em’ featuring YG . A lot of the beats are starting to sound the same. This sure does sound like Kid Ink/Chris Brown, ‘Show Me’. It’s really a slowed down auto-tune infused sample of Snap!’s ‘Rhythm Is a Dancer’. I like this one though. I would like a full album from Jeremih soon.
Lil Wayne is still working hard on his upcoming album, Carter V, and he’s released a new rack ‘D’Usse’. I like the vibe of this one and I’ve always been a sucker for Weezy’s punchlines. Take a listen below:
Trey Songz has not been on the top of my ‘IT’ list as of late being that I’m not enjoying anything he’s been putting out, but this video definitely has me interested in his new album, Trigga, which is set to be released this summer. His new video for his track, ‘Na Na,’ has been released and I must say that I’m VERY impressed.
So the video is all black & white, for the most part. So quick walkthrough for those who missed the concept. Trey goes on a date and at the end of the date he assumes she wants ‘more’ and she didn’t deny it. His date replied, “I Want to get ENGAGED!” Now he went in this store unsure of what she was talking about and changes into workout clothes and goes through a series of tests from strength training/cardio to boxing (with WWEs Bella Twins) to Yoga. In the end he thought he had finally won, but he had more working out to do before his ‘grand prize.’ It just goes to show that his love interest was interested in seeing just how far he would go and wanted to see if he would pass her tests. Nice take on the video other than it being in the strip club which is what I was expecting. Also fun fact, ‘na na’ means French for girl.
Lil Wayne has been pretty low-key about his music as of late. Trey Songz on the other hand has been remixing tracks left and right and how appropriate by his alter ego, Trigga. Well, both men will be releasing albums this year and by the summer.
This past Friday during a All-Star weekend show, Drake announced:
If you want to hear Lil Wayne at his best, if you wanna hear Young Money at they best… Carter V, May 5. Just know we about this shit for real.
Looks like fans will be getting the album that they want. This is perfect timing being that Young Money is gearing up for their second group album, Rise of an Empire, which hits stores March 11th. I just hope that it lives up to the hype and that Weezy takes it back to the classics for the new album.
As for Trey Songz, he’s working on his 6th studio album. After attending the Get Schooled Foundation Event where he was principal for a day at New Era High (Baltimore, MD), Trey gave details on his upcoming album in a Q&A session. The album is set to be called, Trigga.
This may be something that can change,” he told the high school studentsduring a Q&A. But as of now, the album’s coming out June 30. I’ma be having fun on the album,” said Trey. “There’s a lot of great records on there. I worked with a lot of great people and I’m still recording every day.
As much as I love Trey Songz, I’m not the biggest fan of ‘Trigga’ if it comes down to rapping. I would love this album to be his mixtape, Anticipation, on the NEXT level.
Stay tuned to see if the release dates stick or not.
I DO NOT LIKE THIS SONG! Let’s just get that out the way. I am SO SICK of hearing the same basic music about the club, different checks, and hearing n*gga in every other word of a verse/hook. I have nothing against Trey Songz steering away from R&B. He’s an artist and as an artist he has the creativity to do that. At the end of the day he’s an R&B artist, but he went for more of that club / hip hop route since Passion, Pain & Pleasure. Chapter V really touched on that. I am a Trey Songz fan. I have been in love with his music since I first saw the video for ‘Gotta Make It.’ Now it’s just like he’s lazy or something. He just puts music out and the concept is what? Picking up a chick in the club? I’m not impressed and I know that Trey Songz can make better quality music than this. As a fan I’m not expecting him to make love songs all the time. I’m not expecting every song to be a ballad, BUT conceptually he needs to get back to what he started with. Featuring a rapper on the track does not guarantee radio play.
This track is as ‘ORDINARY’ as it gets. Trey Songz sings about a girl. Insinuates a possible threesome. Talks about taking a girl home, his sex game, Jeezy starts rapping, BLAH BLAH BLAH! It’s boring, there’s no story. The song is the typical club type formula. Meet girl, flirt with girl, get another girl, take girl home, have sex, move on to the next. It’s degrading yes, but it’s beyond degrading that gets me about these R&B singers.
To sum it all up, Trey Songz can do better, he’s written better, he’s a better artist, and if THIS is what’s on his next album, I WILL NOT BE PURCHASING!
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