Out of Retirement...and Sum Good Mixed-Tapes

Recently, I've been experiencing some serious computer issues, especially with my internet connection, so my bloggin' has suffered. But have no fear, its all right now.

I'm back. (I'm really starting to feel like HIm (Jigga)).
Anyway, unfortunately, not that much has happened since my computer got the -itis, but there are a few things I want to comment on.

Firstly, after a couple years of claiming Lebron (ahem, Chris) to be my favorite athlete, I've moved on to a much more superior being. Kevin Wayne Durant, hereby known as Flight Thirty-Five, is the greatest basketball player gracing our wonderful planet. Okay, now that the most important order of business has been taken care of, read on.

I usually try to refrain from watchin 106 and Park for several what I consider to be good reasons.
1. Terence J is the corniest show host alive.
2. Rocsi knows it and doesn't report him to BET
3. The fans know it and keep cheering
4. You know it and keep watching
5. He knows it but keeps collecting a paycheck.
6. The guest artists know it and keep answering his questions.
7. Oh, by the way they play the same videos over and over all week.

But, unfortunately, I lapsed and found myself watching the abomination Wednesday night, and I experienced an epiphany. Bow Wow, did something, hot?

Yes, I know, ridiculous.
Honestly, I belive his upcoming album, hailed as the first time we'll witness the former chart-topping hearthrob with an adult swagger, will be the worst piece of music work since Thoughts of a Predicate Felon (Tony Yayo's sole solo album, and, ironically, the album who's title inspired this soon to be legendary blogsite).
However, his latest official single, You Can Get It All, featuring themanwhorecentlydiscoveredthehairproductjustforr&bsingers Johnta Austin (wasn't he just bald), is an excellent track. Don't worry, I mean, its no Whatever You Like, take it for what it is. But it is an extremely smooth track with an r&b feel, which is what the fake gangster rapper does best. So it gets a thumbs up for me. And I guess I'll watch 106 and Park for another day.

Want the Track? Don't Have Limewire? No other Friends?
I-M me @ Suaveofbk, the track will be yours.
Otherwise, just listen to it.

Bow Wow--You Can Get It All (feat. Johnta Austin)--New Jack City Part 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sndw8BJIhYM

Pssh, the video ain't half bad either.

Hype Williams directed guys.

Lil' DoggyStyle seems to have stepped up his game.

(Trust me, I hate Bow Wow, so it takes a lot for me to use this much of a post on him, please don't feel offended).

Oh, a lil' birdie told me Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together. Oh Lord. Please don't get me started. I refuse to expand on the subject. Us bloggers are under close watch from the FBI?!, because it was a stupid blogger that leaked the picture of Rihanna's unbelievably horrible looking face. And since I have no reliable sources, that's it.

The pride and joy of my life is music, and I have a lot of good stuff at the present moment.

Already a candidate for mixtape of the year, So Far Gone is here folks, and I know i'm late on the post, but definitely not on the music.

It's an amazing piece of work that tops most of last year's top rap albums let alone mixtapes. The rapping ability of Jay and the singing ability of Lloyd (no voice box needed). This guy just keeps on going....and going...and going.

I won't critic it because I'm sure by the time you read this post, you've had the time to do it yourself, but just a couple things.

Best Track(s): Say Wha'ts Real, Best I Ever Had, Successful, Unstoppable, Uptown.

Worst Track (As difficult as it is to find one): Bria's Interlude.

Dont' get angry with me, personally, I don't like Omarion so, that's a biased choice. Leave a comment if you think otherwise.

Best Verse(s): Say What's Real, First Verse of Unstoppable, All verses on The Calm.

Worst Verse: First Verse of Uptown.

Best Beat(s): Unstoppable, Best I Ever Had, Sooner or Later, Uptown.

Something else noteworthy on the frequencies.

The world's greatest hip-hop duo, group, whatever, has a new mixtape, taking some of last year's hits, and turning them into mixtape infernos.

What you might ask?

Oh yes, The Clipse's Road To 'Till the Casket Drops.

Even though they've separated from the world's 3rd greatest producer (Pharrell and the Neptunes), and experienced terrible sales even though they dropped the NUMBER ONE rap album of 2006 (Hell Hath No Fury), they've remained hungry, which is shown in the production of this classic.

Listen to it, once again, you want it hit me up. Its not easy to find, but what can I say.

I got people.

Now for the miscellaneous stuff, what the hell was Sarah Jessica Parker thinking at the Oscar Awards? She is 43 years old. Now, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with maintaining your sexy, but what if it gives up on being maintained? That dress was great, except for the fact that nobody will remember anything except for her chest being halfway out there. And by there I mean somewhere. Maybe its me, but once you pass 40, and your skin gets wrinkled and stuff, its over for that.

(She still looks good actually, but if that was my mother...psSH.)

Kanye West and T-Pain seem to have come up with another hit, and its so mellow, so smooth, I love it. And only one person is using the Auto-Tune! Kanye obviously hasn't lost his lyrical ability.

"I ain't have enough patience but I needed a nurse

That'a come by my bed late

See if my head ache

Then get my head straight

Then give me head great

Everytime I pop up like the VCR

I take your breath away then we perform CPR

With all the cars, the clothes

The lights, the boats

In the penthouse position with,

penthouse bi****s,

See I pimped my crib

So I must exhibit,

S**t, these last few years been a HAYES like ISAAC

So I close my eyes tighter than Asian eyes get

Realize I got the same wings that angels fly with

With Louis Vuitton feathers now that's some fly s**t"

Heeeeee's Baaaaaaaack.

Fellow Roc-A-Fella vet Jay-Z also has a brand new single tearing up the net. This is as vintage Jay-Z as we've heard the Jigga man since the Black Album.

I've had some trouble figuring out who produced it, there've been several rumored producers.

(I can imagine why, the beat is dope).

Listen to it, tell me what you think.

When The Money Goes--Jay-Z--The Bluepring 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q_tngcSKk4\

Also, its that time of year again.

Eff tax season, I'm talking about prom time.

My friends just went limo shopping, my other friend travelled to connecticut for a prom dress runway show, the industry is buzzing, and I'll probably make that the focus of the next post.

Help me out.

Websites, magazines, real-life experiences, advice for that night, anything.

Send everything to knix146@yahoo.com...

...or add me to your buddy list and hit me up any time, Suaveofbk.

I don't think I forgot anything.

Life is cruisin' right now.
Quote of the Day: Don't ask for Permission, Ask For Forgiveness.

Seniors, make sure u graduate.

College seniors, make sure you don't.

(At least not yet, the job industry is a mess right now).

Papa Johns just called.

My pizza's outside.
Dinner Time.
Peace Suckaz.

Is 50 (cent) worth a dime? And other Important Issues Facing America Today.

As my schedule has been ridiculously shortened to the point where I honestly, don't know what to do with myself by high noon, I've found myself actually taking part in the pedestrian senior activities (selling chocolate to lovey dovey freshman, being forced out of school by the assistant principal, that sort of stuff). Even though its never been lacking, I've also had more time to socialize, which is what I found myself doing the night before my birthday, at about 5:30 in the cafeteria, listening to music blasting from my friend's phone, reminiscing about how old we all were when that song came out. There was no dispute that, that song, was one of the best ever made, and probably the best ever by that particular artist.


The song? Many Men.





The artist? 50...49...48...47...(yea).











Laugh all you want, but it shouldn't be funny for the steroid-user-looking, millionaire gunshot survivor, former gangster rapper from Queens. Talk about a fall from grace. Think back...











In 2003, 50 was on top of the music world as his debut (arguably one of the greatest of all time) dropped at about this time, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. The album spawned approximately 7 hits, only four of them being official singles. He was everybody's favorite rapper, and paired with the immediate success of his gun-toting, model-popping clique G-Unit's debut album, Beg for Mercy, 50 was possibly the biggest rap star in the world. Sudanese kids who hadn't eaten in days were mumbling throughout their days, "I'm in there havin' sex, I ain't in there makin' love". (Probably in a few different languages), but you get the point.







Even as we saw record sales slowly decline as the Ipod made a record-setting emergence into the consumer market, in 2005, Jackson released his 2nd album in 3 years, this time, the multi-platinum selling, The Massacre, which saw 50 embrace his commercial success and slowly break away from his gangster attitude, as his biggest hits from The Massacre were ballads about his sexy endeavors with the opposite sex (See: Candy Shop, Just A Lil' Bit, Best Friend).







Now, an event which is probably fresher in your mind, September 11th, 2007. All due respect to those affected by the tragic events which occured 6 years prior, but the music world had something brewing and on the mind. 50 Cent, who's ego forced him to call out the hip-hop nation's most eccentric member, Kanye West, in a sales battle as they each prepared to release their monumental 3rd albums Graduation, and Curtis. While Kanye West entered the Billboard charts with the modest performng "Can't Tell Me Nothing", and came roaring into September with the Grammy-Award winning "Goodlife" with hook-man T-Pain quicky gaining airplay, and the techno group Daft-Punk inspired "Stronger", already number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100; 50 was a little less successful, garnering only one single that gained any real airplay, "I Get Money", and needed automatic hit-makers Timbaland and Justin Timberlake to get one of his singles as high as #6 on the Billboard Charts (See: AYO Technology, and this was after the album release).







This can easily be viewed as the beginning of the end for Mr. Jackson.



Common knowledge reminds us that, Kanye massacred (excuse the pun) 50 in the battle, out-selling the muscular superstar by nearly 300,000 copies. The very next year, as we well know, following his break-up with his fiance, and the death of his mother, Mr. West turned to Auto-Tune assisted singing, which also garnered him his second platinum selling CD in as many years, making him one of hip-hops most successful artists ever, in only his 4th album.







50 on the other hand, is the reason I took the time to write this blog.



The man who was just the other day on top of the world, is struggling to get halfway as close to the epitome as he was just 4 years ago. His business ventures made him 2008's richest member of the hip-hop nation, outgaining Jay-Z revenue wise for the first time in 3 years, a Forbes title Mr. Carter was extremely fond of.







If only Curtis could be as succesful in the studio.



As the public became aware of what most fans already knew, 50 began working on his 4th studio album, Before I Self Destruct, which will be produced in conjunction with a required Greatest Hits Cd (the last two studio productions under his Interscope Label).







A lame attempt at a single (See: Get Up), and an embarassing fall from grace from the television network VH1, who completely shut down all new episodes and re-runs of The Money and the Power has 50 sitting in a precarious position. If BISD doesn't turn out to be the mind-blowing album that the title foreshadows it to be, and the greatness of his singles don't return to the tip-top shape that they were before I graduated middle school, we may be looking at the collapse of a giant. Its bad enough that his posse's much hyped sophomore effort; T.O.S, flopped and two of the three most solid members--The Game and Young Buck--fell out of favor with 50, leaving Lloyd Banks and a lyrically challenged Tony Yayo to carry the load left by two very...good...rappers.







His most recently attempt at fame has been a well aimed shot at the talkative 305 MI-Yayo growing superstar Rick Ross, who's career has already taken a downturn as photos and documents proving his involvement with a police corrections agency have surfaced. 50 took this opportunity to video blog about Ross, who's stret cred is currently being demolished. However, if Ross were smart, he would take the time to check the Soundscan statistics, and shoot back at 50, taking note that Ross' last two albums debuted at number one, and number one. 50's last two albums debuted at number one, and number two.







Honestly, number two hurts so much, a lot of artists would rather debut at number 3. Seriously.







On the other hand, 50's former counterpart, Eminem already has a number one hit on the Billboard charts, with his comical sounding but lyrically inclined debut single from the comeback album, Relapse, "Crack A Bottle", bringing back the whole former crew, 50 and Dr. Dre. Its no coincidence that its popular sentiment that 50's verse on the smash hit is the one thing most people don't like about the song.



Shaking My Head Curtis.







Try as hard as you can to make "I Get It In", more than the rougher-sounding-version-of-Flo Rida it really is, but as soon as you put on P.I.M.P, Back Down, or Many Men, all of Jackson's hardest present-day efforts seem fruitless compared to the bad boy demeanor that he once possessed, that made him worth at least his name. By the way, I got the idea from the title that my mother gave him, which is an even better barometer as to how bad the artist is actually doing.







I will congratulate him on one thing though, his album title is probably going to prove to be so true. He'd better succeed with this 4th offering before he actually does (self-destruct), with a little help from everybody else. I wouldn't be surprised if his album goes caput, and Fat Joe, Lil' Wayne, Jadakiss, Ja Rule, and Rick Ross all gang up on him on some DJ Khaled-esque record.







Karma? Well, yea.







In other news, MTV aired a special coverage show on the fiasco I most recently blogged about (Chris Brown v Rihanna), at 6 p.m today, and I missed it due to a little spring cleaning Mom Dukes made me do. So if you caught it, tell me if it was anything we didn't already know (knix146@yahoo.com), or hit me up at Suaveofbk (AIM).







I definitely apologize for the lack of heaters I've been able to throw your way. Nobody told me this whole senior year thing would be so time consuming, and I'm definitely behind on just about everything. But I managed to get so far as my Brooklyn counterpart who is taking his best shot at another hit single (If that's what you can call Hi Hater)







Artist: Maino



Album: If Tomorrow Comes...



Song: All of The Above (featuring T-Pain)



Producer: Just Blaze.















If you ever get around to listening to the song, you'll realize some serious simliarities with T.I's smash hit, Live Your Life. The trained ear will realize that both beats sound exacly the same, and the theme of both songs is the state of the rapper's life. T-Pain is just a male replacement for Rihanna, and not to mention, who do you think produced Live Your Life?



Lol, I think I'm just musically inclined.







Lastly but not leastly, I was actually around a t.v to catch this weekend's All-Star festivities and I hope I'm not the only one that realized there was a true lack of excitement. The skills competition and the 3 point contest are always eye-catchers but the dunk contest seemed to be rigged. Dwight Howard came out as Superman and I was expecting to see something great. Instead he just showed us all what he does every game. Don't get to hyped about little Krypto-Nate either, he won by default. Everything he did I've seen before. He jumps that high all the time, usually there isn't a 7 foot man between his legs though (no homo.)







The all-star game actually began to shape out to be pretty entertaining, espeically with Shaq's little Jabawockeez stunt at the beginning (which wasn't half bad), and I definitely enjoyed his antics during the game. However, Lebron was protected too much by Mike Brown, and Kobe and O'Neal were just allowed to do whatever they wanted. It was rigged, the two cry babies back together again. Not to mention the whole time I was pissed that Kevin Durant wasn't staring in the game. How many points did he have to score in the Rookie v Sophomore game to prove that he was way beyond those chumps?







Anyway, that was pretty eventful.



Also, I like to show appreciation for people who take the time out to read my blogs, especially my fellow seniors because I know first-hand how ridiculous this year is, so thanks for showing the love, online and in person.







Thanks even more to the people I don't know personally, who take the time out of their day (wherever they are) to read the blog of someone who they've never met, who seems to care a tad too much about music. In return, I like to give them a little free publicity. After all, a blog is nothing without a few faithful readers.



So check out Gee-Nah Muh-Ree's blog (she's in my "followers" group at the top left). Her material is pretty interesting, especially since she's a little older and has many alternative topics to write about.







Bottoms Up,







Peace Suckaz.

So little time...

Lordamerrrcy.
The drama the drama the drama.

Sooo, you know i couldn't miss an opportunity to talk about the eventful Grammy's (I mean, half this whole blog thing is about music).
As I've been saying on AIM for the past week, I wanted you guys to make sure you tune in to at least catch what was shaping up to be a monumental performance by four of hip-hops established and rising legends (Jay-Z, Kanye West, T.I, Lil Wayne) as Paper Trail's top ten smash hit, "Swagger Like Us" was performed.

As usual, the Grammy's delivered, using a picturesque black and white theme to display the epic portrayla of lyrical ability at its height.
But the black and white couldn't hide Kanye's mullet.
Or Jay-Z's uncut ceasar.
Lol. When you're as nice as they are, who frankly gives a shit.

The show carried on and so did the amazing performances. Heart-lifting and tear-prompting performances from U2, Coldplay, Adele, Duffy, T.I/Justin Timberlake and most significantly Jennifer Hudson made this year's show one to remember.
(Just imagine what it must be like for Hudson to rise from the ashes and perform at music's two biggest stages: Superbowl and Grammy's. Can't knock the hustle.)

On another note, M.I.A?
Seriously?
The due date for M.I.A Jr. was February 8th.
The Grammy's was February 8th.
What comes first, music or your kid? Music duhhh.

Unforunately, the most captivating story of the night and the following morning wasn't the vocal prowess of the amazing "Chasing Pavements" singer, or the amazing-ness of Ms. Spotlight, it was the two stars, that weren't present for music's biggest night.

Rihanna, next time Chris says Gimme That, you better Run It.

According to multiple reliable sources, Chris Brown (no, not the football player, even though that would be easier to believe), was arrested and held on 50G bail extremely early on the morning of the Grammy's for charges stemming from the statute of domestic violence.

My source (yeah, so what, I got people) relayed to me the information that Rihanna had originally instigated the argument because she was unhappy about Mr. Brown's behavior the previous night at the Grammy's Pre-Award Gala concerning two ladies who showed extreme interest in the superstar. On the drive home (post-party), Rihanna began to argue with Mr. Breezy about the incident, and she requested that--which was very unusual--she be dropped off and left alone. Brown thought that she was reading to much into the incident, and when she attempted to completely leave him and the car, Brown flipped, forcing her towards him, using his fist, open palm, and teeth to restrain the pop singer. Rihanna later checked herself into the hospital, where she was forced by authorities to tell her side of the story, in which case Brown, realizing he had no choice, turned himself in.

Ohhh, the millions of teenage girls whose homes will be banned of all Chris Brown propoganda.
I can hear the mother's now: "He's a wife beater! You are not to listen to his music any longer"
Teenage Girls: "Ohh, but mom that's so unfair? All the other domestic violence victims are doing it!"

Smh (I've been doin' a lot of that lately. See: Report Card).

In other news...
For those of you that missed my blog post about my fellow Brooklyn native Taahir, who has created some internet buzz with his first two singles (See: Rappa Ternt Sanga), here's another opportunity to hear the aspiring artist's latest musical apperance, alongside Chris Live, and Mike Mitch in Transit's new banger: Tabloids. These three have been collaborating for some time now, and their anticipated first single is here.
(The link below also gives you the opportunity to hear his previous singles, in case you missed it).

http://www.imeem.com/people/pAadnF-/music/lY-QPL2J/taahir_tabloids/

Good new music is hard to come by nowadays, so of course this time around I had trouble continuing our little tradition. But uhh, I think I got one.

Artist: Busta Rhymes
Song: We Rollin' (featuring T.I, Reek Da Villain)
Album: Back on my BS

(I'm tellin' yall, watch for that ^^ album, gonna be a shocker).
By the way, i missed the opportunity to introduce the 2009 Supras (my babies).
My fellow FDA blogger beat me to it.
So check out http://www.satara-revealed.blogspot.com/ to see those bad boys.

I think all traditions have been satisfied.
Peace suckaz.