Saturday, September 17, 2011
Yo Trey.
I'm not really a fan of this new rapper persona that he's created...or the fact that he clearly hasn't had a haircut in awhile...but Trey still looks amazing. Me and Dace peeped the twinkle in his eye a long time ago (which can be seen in the 1.5 seconds that he takes the shades off)...but either way...dude is too cute. I guess he's done dropping singles off of "Passion, Pain, & Pleasure"(and rightfully so...) but he's obviously still putting in work. I feel like both versions of "Oh My" didn't takeover as much as they could have...but the video is here for the remix...and I'm not mad about it:
This J. Cole track has been on repeat all day. That hook is TOO contagious. Trey definitely got his "Nate Dogg" on for this one. Clap for the kid. "IIIIIII need that."
Friday, September 16, 2011
Guess Who's Bizzack?!
"I've been gone for a minute, now I'm back with the jumpoff!!" Just kidding...(about the jumpoff part...I am back though! lol)
I've been on a little hiatus from this blog, not because I don't love it, but because some other people did and asked me to start writing for them. (Who knew that anybody was even really reading this? LOL)
But anyway, that's what happened. And although it's cool writing for different blogs, it's not the same as doing your own thing. They tell you that you can write whatever you want, but honestly, it only makes sense to stay within the theme of their site.
So, I'm basically doing all this rambling to say that there's no place like home. Especially the home that you're the head of.
So I'm back. Let's get it.
(Oh and I reformatted it a little bit. I had to steal the purple cassette tape background from my tumblr because I honestly can't think of a better symbol for me. I mean...it's purple. And it's a cassette tape. Too easy.)
I've been on a little hiatus from this blog, not because I don't love it, but because some other people did and asked me to start writing for them. (Who knew that anybody was even really reading this? LOL)
But anyway, that's what happened. And although it's cool writing for different blogs, it's not the same as doing your own thing. They tell you that you can write whatever you want, but honestly, it only makes sense to stay within the theme of their site.
So, I'm basically doing all this rambling to say that there's no place like home. Especially the home that you're the head of.
So I'm back. Let's get it.
(Oh and I reformatted it a little bit. I had to steal the purple cassette tape background from my tumblr because I honestly can't think of a better symbol for me. I mean...it's purple. And it's a cassette tape. Too easy.)
Monday, September 12, 2011
I'm just sayin... *Drizzy voice*
After all of the hype of "Marvin's Room" (by Drake) has finally died down and everybody and their mother got to put out a remix, I figured I'd dig a little deeper into one of the lines that stood out to me from the very first time that I heard the song: "I'm just sayin, you could do better."
(I'm just using these 2 versions because they're my favorites lol)
How often to do you see someone with a person who you think is below their standards (or below what you think they're standards should be?) And I'm not talking about physically incompatible...I'm talking about when you know someone who is amazing. They're ambitious and intelligent. Funny, reliable, and honest. They're the kind of person that you can bring around your friends and have a great time...but respectable enough to introduce to your family. They're the kind of person who's easy to be around (which I think is the quality that gives them so much access to all these people who aren't, in my opinion, really deserving of their time).
This person is the same one who will end up with the girl/guy who isn't as smart and ambitious as they are. In fact, they end up with people who seem to lack many of the great qualities that you would hope any person would possess. It's kind of mind-boggling to me. I understand that opposites may attract but...damn.
Before I go on, let me clarify that I'm not talking about jealousy and haters here. I'm not talking about the scenario when you wanted somebody and they didn't want you, so now you're trying to find everything wrong with their new boo simply because you're a hater. I'm talking about situations like this girl that I know who's working on her PhD and married (yes, MARRIED) a guy who's working on his GED and they're the same age. (And if they had kids, I could see how this could happen, but they don't.) So, it's not just my opinion that she could do better, it's damn near a societal fact. And by no means, am I knocking anyone who has a GED. It's just that the disparity between a GED and PhD is drastic.
So, how do people get into these predicaments where they end up with people who aren't seemingly worthy of their time?
I don't know the answer to that question. There are too many outliers and mitigating factors to come up with a general answer to that. But the most important word in that question is "seemingly".
This whole thing is about perception. If I've looked at someone and thought, "I'm just saying, you could do better"...in my opinion, it either means that I think more highly of you than you do of yourself…OR…I’ve been misinformed about who you really are and what you want out of life and your relationships. I’m just not sure which explanation is more plausible. Either way, it's disappointing...and kind of confusing.
How could a person value certain qualities for his/herself but not value those qualities in their partner? For example, with the PhD/GED couple, she CLEARLY values education and understands it's importance to her career. So how could she MARRY somebody who obviously doesn't value that? And I understand that he could be the best person in world, with or without his GED...but come on.
And how do you tell someone that the person that they're with is a waste of life without sounding like a hater? What is it about these "undeserving" characters that make them good enough for the people that we think so highly of? Maybe the knowledge of self-worth is really the issue here?
It's an interesting topic. I don't think that everyone should be with people who are exactly like them, but people are better together if they can compliment each other. I believe that's true for any type of relationship or friendship.
Or maybe I'm completely wrong. Maybe everyone is deserving of whoever they have or don't have. I guess if they really needed more, they'd want more from their partner, right?
I just think that everyone deserves to be in a situation that's mutually beneficial. But if you're not, "I'm just sayin, you could do better."
As always,
Les Is More ;)
(I'm just using these 2 versions because they're my favorites lol)
How often to do you see someone with a person who you think is below their standards (or below what you think they're standards should be?) And I'm not talking about physically incompatible...I'm talking about when you know someone who is amazing. They're ambitious and intelligent. Funny, reliable, and honest. They're the kind of person that you can bring around your friends and have a great time...but respectable enough to introduce to your family. They're the kind of person who's easy to be around (which I think is the quality that gives them so much access to all these people who aren't, in my opinion, really deserving of their time).
This person is the same one who will end up with the girl/guy who isn't as smart and ambitious as they are. In fact, they end up with people who seem to lack many of the great qualities that you would hope any person would possess. It's kind of mind-boggling to me. I understand that opposites may attract but...damn.
Before I go on, let me clarify that I'm not talking about jealousy and haters here. I'm not talking about the scenario when you wanted somebody and they didn't want you, so now you're trying to find everything wrong with their new boo simply because you're a hater. I'm talking about situations like this girl that I know who's working on her PhD and married (yes, MARRIED) a guy who's working on his GED and they're the same age. (And if they had kids, I could see how this could happen, but they don't.) So, it's not just my opinion that she could do better, it's damn near a societal fact. And by no means, am I knocking anyone who has a GED. It's just that the disparity between a GED and PhD is drastic.
So, how do people get into these predicaments where they end up with people who aren't seemingly worthy of their time?
I don't know the answer to that question. There are too many outliers and mitigating factors to come up with a general answer to that. But the most important word in that question is "seemingly".
This whole thing is about perception. If I've looked at someone and thought, "I'm just saying, you could do better"...in my opinion, it either means that I think more highly of you than you do of yourself…OR…I’ve been misinformed about who you really are and what you want out of life and your relationships. I’m just not sure which explanation is more plausible. Either way, it's disappointing...and kind of confusing.
How could a person value certain qualities for his/herself but not value those qualities in their partner? For example, with the PhD/GED couple, she CLEARLY values education and understands it's importance to her career. So how could she MARRY somebody who obviously doesn't value that? And I understand that he could be the best person in world, with or without his GED...but come on.
And how do you tell someone that the person that they're with is a waste of life without sounding like a hater? What is it about these "undeserving" characters that make them good enough for the people that we think so highly of? Maybe the knowledge of self-worth is really the issue here?
It's an interesting topic. I don't think that everyone should be with people who are exactly like them, but people are better together if they can compliment each other. I believe that's true for any type of relationship or friendship.
Or maybe I'm completely wrong. Maybe everyone is deserving of whoever they have or don't have. I guess if they really needed more, they'd want more from their partner, right?
I just think that everyone deserves to be in a situation that's mutually beneficial. But if you're not, "I'm just sayin, you could do better."
As always,
Les Is More ;)
Monday, June 13, 2011
If there was one word to describe Beyonce's "4", it would be...
Amazing. Beyonce delivers an album that is consistent with the rest of her career: successful. The main gripe that I have is that it only has 12 tracks. When I heard the rumor that she submitted 72 songs to the record label for this album, I was hoping to get a lengthy project. (I’m fairly certain that there will be a deluxe edition that will contain “bonus” tracks, so I’m not completely disappointed.)
But in all honesty, I have no complaints about the 12 tracks on “4”. For every song that I don’t absolutely love (which is very few), I know that it will grow on me. The album has a little bit of everything. It’s smooth. It’s for the club. It’s for the car. It’s for the fans of her ballads. It’s exactly what I thought it would be.
I must admit, I think that the girls will like this album more than the guys will, but I don’t really think that’s surprising. Every song sounds like it’s going to be amazing whenever she performs them on a tour. It’s almost makes me want to start searching for tour dates even though nothing has been announced. The album is full of strong beats and suave melodies that come together and create great songs.
I know that everybody didn’t like “Run the World (Girls)” and I understand why, but I loved it. I understood what she was trying to accomplish with that track and I applaud her for aiming to create anthems, not just hits. I also think that it was a good choice for a first single, mainly, because her performances of that song have been great, not only for this album’s promotion, but for her career as a whole. (Did you see her Billboard awards performance? Classic.)
Her second single, “Best Thing I Never Had” is a great follow-up. I’ve heard people call it the “2011 version of ‘Irreplaceable.’” It definitely has that similar vibe of a woman’s independence and freedom. But it’s smooth and her vocals are amazing (as usual).
As of now, I’m pretty sure that my favorite song on the album is “Party,” which was produced by Kanye West and features Andre 3000. I honestly hope that it’s the next single. The “La Di Da Di” sample is genius and it’s just a “feel good” kind of track.
Some of my other favorites include “End of Time”, “Countdown”, “Rather Die Young” and “I Miss You” (which was penned by the new phenomenon Frank Ocean). “Start Over”, “Love On Top” and “I Care” provide the smoothness of the album while “1+1” and “I Was Here” allow Bey to flex her vocal skills.
It’s unfortunate that “4” leaked so far before the album hits the shelves, but I hope that everyone who downloaded will still go out and buy it on June 28th. I will.
Les is more ;)
But in all honesty, I have no complaints about the 12 tracks on “4”. For every song that I don’t absolutely love (which is very few), I know that it will grow on me. The album has a little bit of everything. It’s smooth. It’s for the club. It’s for the car. It’s for the fans of her ballads. It’s exactly what I thought it would be.
I must admit, I think that the girls will like this album more than the guys will, but I don’t really think that’s surprising. Every song sounds like it’s going to be amazing whenever she performs them on a tour. It’s almost makes me want to start searching for tour dates even though nothing has been announced. The album is full of strong beats and suave melodies that come together and create great songs.
I know that everybody didn’t like “Run the World (Girls)” and I understand why, but I loved it. I understood what she was trying to accomplish with that track and I applaud her for aiming to create anthems, not just hits. I also think that it was a good choice for a first single, mainly, because her performances of that song have been great, not only for this album’s promotion, but for her career as a whole. (Did you see her Billboard awards performance? Classic.)
Her second single, “Best Thing I Never Had” is a great follow-up. I’ve heard people call it the “2011 version of ‘Irreplaceable.’” It definitely has that similar vibe of a woman’s independence and freedom. But it’s smooth and her vocals are amazing (as usual).
As of now, I’m pretty sure that my favorite song on the album is “Party,” which was produced by Kanye West and features Andre 3000. I honestly hope that it’s the next single. The “La Di Da Di” sample is genius and it’s just a “feel good” kind of track.
Some of my other favorites include “End of Time”, “Countdown”, “Rather Die Young” and “I Miss You” (which was penned by the new phenomenon Frank Ocean). “Start Over”, “Love On Top” and “I Care” provide the smoothness of the album while “1+1” and “I Was Here” allow Bey to flex her vocal skills.
It’s unfortunate that “4” leaked so far before the album hits the shelves, but I hope that everyone who downloaded will still go out and buy it on June 28th. I will.
Les is more ;)
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wait. I forgot an interlude...
I don't know how I forgot this one. Jamie killed it! This was definitely on repeat for about 2 weeks. If anybody thinks of any other good interludes that I'm missing...hit me up.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Interludes: The Lost Art
Awhile back, I did an album review of Trey Songz's "Passion, Pain, and Pleasure" and one of the things that I said was, "I like that Trey still does interludes. I feel like that's a lost art in music today and his are always good enough to be whole songs."
I LOVE interludes. Especially R&B. Most recently, I've become absolutely obsessed with Frank Ocean's "Acura Integurl"...the whole thing is genius. The biggest problem with music today is that everybody's style of storytelling is too straight-forward and literal. The title in itself let's you know you're in for a ride (pun intended), mainly because "integurl" isn't even a real word, but simply a play on the name of the actual car.
The interlude tells the common, but seldom told story of 2 people who change as the world around them does. In this case, he's becoming a celebrity, and she has to reassure him that she's willing to handle everything that comes with that.
I'm in love with every single line. How could you not love the brilliance of "I wrote a letter to the sky saying maybe one day you'll get to kiss me"? (Get it? He's trying to be a star...genius.) And my favorite, "I'm not just in it for the ride, I'm in it for the ride."
Anyway, the phenomenal interlude made me want to shed some light on some of my favorites. So, I'll start with Frank Ocean, and then share some of the others that have been put on repeat in the past. Feel free to leave comments about some your favorites that should be added. Les is more ;)
(Shout out to Jaggon!)
Trey Songz is pretty consistent with his interludes :)
I LOVE interludes. Especially R&B. Most recently, I've become absolutely obsessed with Frank Ocean's "Acura Integurl"...the whole thing is genius. The biggest problem with music today is that everybody's style of storytelling is too straight-forward and literal. The title in itself let's you know you're in for a ride (pun intended), mainly because "integurl" isn't even a real word, but simply a play on the name of the actual car.
The interlude tells the common, but seldom told story of 2 people who change as the world around them does. In this case, he's becoming a celebrity, and she has to reassure him that she's willing to handle everything that comes with that.
I'm in love with every single line. How could you not love the brilliance of "I wrote a letter to the sky saying maybe one day you'll get to kiss me"? (Get it? He's trying to be a star...genius.) And my favorite, "I'm not just in it for the ride, I'm in it for the ride."
Anyway, the phenomenal interlude made me want to shed some light on some of my favorites. So, I'll start with Frank Ocean, and then share some of the others that have been put on repeat in the past. Feel free to leave comments about some your favorites that should be added. Les is more ;)
(Shout out to Jaggon!)
Trey Songz is pretty consistent with his interludes :)
Thursday, May 12, 2011
I Put On...
Music keeps me up at night. I mean that in the most literal way. Last night, I was making deals with myself to stop listening to this song. "Leslie, you have to turn the iPod off at 1:30am." Of course that time comes and goes..."Ok, 1:45." LOL (It's honestly ridiculous...but you'd be surprised to know that this goes on pretty much every night.) Anyway, this was the song that made it hard for me to get up this morning. I have to shout out my homie at RNBAddicts for putting me on...
(I don't why the song doesn't start until about 15 seconds in...but it's worth the wait....)
(I don't why the song doesn't start until about 15 seconds in...but it's worth the wait....)
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