Justin Bieber- Never Say Never ft. Jaden Smith

 

Here is the link to Justin Beiber’s Never Say Never Music Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z5-P9v3F8w

Justin Bieber’s Never Say Music video ft. Jaden Smith is the union of two young stars for one cause.  The cause was to make a music video for the song that was featured on The Karate Kid (2010) soundtrack. It was interesting to me because I did not know that Jaden rapped until I saw this music video. The video was simplistic, but effective. I enjoyed seeing the artist interacting with one another because it made me feel as if they were close. However, their actions were distracting me from time to time. The director of the music video is Honey.

3 Pros

1. In enjoyed the fact clips from The Karate Kid that were played in the music video.
2. I also liked that the music video was shot in a music studio because you don’t see that often in music videos.
3. The video clips in music video flowed extremely with the song.

3 Cons

1. I was distracted by Jaden dancing randomly.  
2. Random horseplay was also a diversion for me.
3. The music video also ended awkwardly. 

Kelly Rowland- Commander ft. David Guetta

 

Here is the link to Kelly Rowland’s Commander music video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwfKZ-1jyiw

Kelly Rowland’s Commander music video started off with a crowd of people dancing, so I automatically knew the tone for this video would be a fun filled atmosphere. Kelly emerges out a cloud of smoke, and she proceeds to command the crowd. There is a version of the singer wearing red as well one wearing black. I liked seeing the more edgy side of Kelly. I did not understand how the video tied into the song, but I still enjoyed the music video and I applaud Kelly as well as, Mashai Muto, the producer of the music video.

3 Pros

1. The crowd sets the mood for a party, and that’s fitting for this song which has a techno type feel.
2. I like the fact she showcased her DJ and gave him recognition, and I also liked that he transformed into his turntable.  
3. Kelly commanded the crowd to dance at her music, and then the camera panned to the crowd dancing; I think that shows good artistic vision from the music video producer.

3 Cons

1. No offense to Kelly, but I felt the spirit of Beyonce in this music video because the weave she was wearing. Her having one version of herself competing against the other one automatically made me think of Sasha Fierce and Beyonce.  
2. I didn’t understand the reasoning behind their being two version of Kelly in this music video.
3. I also didn’t understand the concept of a video as a whole in regards to the song. I think it could’ve been depicted in a more clear form and could’ve flowed better with the song

J. Cole- Who Dat

Here is the link to J. Cole’s Who Dat music video: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/VEVO#p/f/3/dwfKZ-1jyiw

Overall, I like the Who Dat music video because I like the song. I also think the producer of the video did a few things I haven’t seen in a music video before. I liked seeing J. Cole on the TV rather than following him around the streets of Fayetteville, North Carolina the whole time.  I also was fond of J. Cole being on the stage as if he was performing. I also enjoyed the kids following him around the town; it was as if he was the pied piper of hip-hop. All in all the video could’ve been much better. However, I did like it as a video of an artist in their essence. This music video was directed by BBGUN. 

3 Pros

1. He uses regular people as opposed to other famous people, and he even corporate a marching band.
2. J. Cole recorded the video in his hometown. 
3. Pyrotechnics go off when he walks by at the end of the video, which are symbolic of his line “B!&*# I got that flame.”

 3 Cons

1. The steady cam was too close to J. Cole at the beginning of the music video.
2. The music video seems low budget, and no matter how much money is put into a project it shouldn’t look as if hardly any money was put into the project.
3. His repetitive hand movements were distracting me, and they were a little annoying to say the least.

I'm Back!

Hello, 

As you all know, I've had a mini hiatus from blogging. I have decided to add a new topic to my blog. I will now be reviewing music videos. These reviews won't be as detailed as the format I used for reviewing mixtapes. However, I will do my best to provide you with a sufficient amount of information about every music video. My first review will be posted before the night is over. I hope you all enjoy! 

With Love,

Roberta "The Media PRHO" Collier 

5 Mixtapes I Recommend (Possibly My Last Post Regarding Mixtapes)

I have provided links for you to play and/or download the mixtapes: (I hope you all enjoy them! )

1. Dolla- the Miseducation of Dolla

http://indy.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/11934/dolla_the_miseducation_of_dolla.html

2. Cee-Lo: Stray Bullets

                                    

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/11919/ceelo_stray_bullets.html

3. Wiz Khalifa- Kush & OJ

                                         

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/11636/wiz_khalifa_kush_orange_juice.html

4. Gudda Gudda- Back 2 Guddaville

                                  

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/11924/gudda_gudda_guddaville_2.html

5. Jin- Say Something

                                     

  http://indy.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/11833/jin_say_something.html

Hello friends,

I appreciate what you all have done to make my blog better. My blog improves as I gain feedback from others. Constructive criticism has allowed me to make changes such as changing the font color of my posts from such a bright and blinding blue to this calm and cool shade. I am nothing without the people that visit this blog, so once again I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. This might be my last post in regards to Mixtape Queens and Kings. I am not quite sure yet, but I am sure that I will blog about some form of media that deals with music.

Sincerely Grateful,

Roberta "The Media PRHO" Collier

Lupe Fiasco: From Hip-hop Hater to Mixtape King

I will be reviewing Lupe Fiasco’s Before There Were Lasers mixtape for this post.

Listen to or download the mixtape here: 

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/11918/lupe_fiasco_before_there_were_lasers.html

Background Information:

• Birth name: Wasalu Muhammad Jaco
• Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
• Influences: His parents, Bishop G, Jay-Z, Nas, AZ, Ghostface Killa, Mos Def, and 8 Ball & MJG
• How long has he been doing music: Since the 8^th grade
• Type of Artist: Mainstream
• Genre(s): Hip-hop
• Current Label(s): 1^st & 15 ^th Productions /Atlantic Records
• Similar Artists: Kanye West, J. Cole, Kid Cudi, Wale, and B.O.B
• Fun fact:  He earned his first black belt by the time he was ten.

            Wasalu Muhammad Jaco was born on Februray 16, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois. He was the one of nine children born to Shirley and Gregory Jaco. Shirley was a gourmet chef, and Gregory was an engineer, member of the Black Panther Party, African drummer, karate teacher, and owner if karate schools and Army surplus stores. Wasalu’s parents exposed him to different music styles. Yet, he disliked hip-hop because he felt as if it was too vulgar. Lupe Fiasco started rapping in the eighth grade when he heard It Was Written Nas’s  1996 album. He was given the nickname Lu by his mother, and he lengthened it to Lupe, which was the name of one of his high school friends. He got the name Fiasco from The Firm album. He liked the song Firm Fiasco as much as he liked how his new moniker Lupe Fiasco looked on a piece of paper. A few years later, at the age of nineteen, he became a member of the group Da Pak. The group released one single on the Epic label, and then the group split. This all happened before Lupe was twenty years old. L.A. Reid signed him to Arista, but after Reid was fired Lupe was forced to find a new label.  Later the artist was signed to Atlantic Records.  Lupe Fiasco has released two solo albums, which were Food and Liquor (2006) and The Cool (2007). He has released a few mixtapes before this one, but I do not believe any of them were considered to be major releases.    

Introduction:

Lupe Fiasco is a Mixtape King because he has only released two albums, but he still is being considered as a great rapper. When he was younger, he disliked hip-hop, so I give him props for becoming notable in a genre he used to dislike. This mixtape shows the traces of a young rapper that might be able to be considered one of the best MCs to touch a microphone.  

Favorite Line: Accept The Troubles- “A lot of n!##@$ be playing the fool, and I ain’t having that s%!& like praying in school .” http://www.metrolyrics.com/accept-the-troubles-lyrics-lupe-fiasco.html

Top 3 Tracks: (This list is ordered from the song I like most to the song I like least.)

1. Accept The Troubles- This song starts off realistically by saying there are “a lot of things in life you have to accept.” Lupe commands his respect on this song because he lets it be known that he is not a rapper for anyone to sleep on. The instrumental and the lyrics are bananas, which led this track to be nothing less than great. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akJD85Ydbgk
2. Flash My Watch- The instrumental reminds me of old school hip-hop. Lupe talks about a young man that is all about fortune and fame. This song is a glimpse into the lives of famous people that don’t care about anything but money and superficial aspects of life, and I’m glad Lupe Fiasco is not one of those people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RL8JdKLn4A
3. This Is For My N!##@$- The instrumental is on this track is like the members of TLC because it’s crazy, sexy, and cool. Lupe Fiasco delivers excellent metaphors that caused me to think about how nice Lupe Fiasco was lyrically. He had a line where he said he was focused, and by the sounds of it; he was extremely focused when writing this track. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBLBU4Qk9GM   

Bottom 3 Tracks: (This list is ordered from the song I dislike most to the song I dislike least.)

1. Girl Talk (Remix)- This song just doesn’t fit Lupe Fiasco in my opinion. Girl Talk was originally a TLC song, but Lupe Fiasco sped the original tempo up, and that was a mistake because the song is now not appealing to me. Maybe it would be better if the song was at its original tempo and he added a verse, but either way the original song was two times better than his remix. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGNS-Q0EzFc  
2. Bottome Of My Heart- Lupe has good lyrics on this song, but I feel like they just don’t match with the flow of the mixtape as a whole. However, the instrumental is more captivating than his lyrics in this song. Maybe I feel this way because the instrumental matches up with the rest of the mixtape; I definitely think this song could be improved. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNCCnM0NOvw
3. Gangsta Up In Here- This song has great lyrics and instrumental. I don’t like the concept of being gangsta for Lupe Fiasco though even if it isn’t about his personal life; I do not find it fitting for him. I just do not in the least bit believe him as trying to portray someone that is gangsta. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAwk2JGIn1U

Overview:

I recommend the Before There Were Lasers mixtape to people that like old school hip-hop because Lupe Fiasco has the stylings of an older MC when he picks up a mic. Lupe Fiasco takes me back to a time before there were lasers with his lyrics. He goes back to the basics of hip-hop, which most people don’t do nowadays.  

Other Related Links:

http://www.atlanticrecords.com/lupefiasco

http://www.lupefiasco.com/

http://www.last.fm/music/Lupe+Fiasco

http://music.aol.com/artist/lupe-fiasco/biography/342785

http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/fiasco__lupe/artist.jhtml#biographyEnd

La’ Chat: From Michael Jackson Admirer to Mixtape Queen

I will be reviewing La’ Chat’s Krumbz 2 Brickz mixtape for this post.

Listen to or download the mixtape here: 

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/11873/la_chat_krumbz_2_brickz.html

Background Information:

• Birth name: Chastity Daniels
• Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee
• Influences: James Brown, Marvin Gaye, MC Lyte, N.W.A., Tupac, And Trick Daddy
• How long has she been doing music: Unknown
• Type of Artist: Mainstream  
• Genre(s): Gangster Rap
• Current Label(s): Inevitable Entertainment 
• Similar Artists: Mia X, Gangsta Boo, Juicy J, Project Pat, Indo G
• Fun fact:  She got her breakthrough on Project Pat’s song Chickenhead.

Chastity Daniels was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She became interested in music after she watched Michael Jackson perform Billie Jean. She began to develop her style of music from the R&B and hip-hop artist she listened to. Later, she began to develop her own way of delivering music. She was passionate about writing, thug life, and street politics and those passions led her to the gangster rap genre. One night La’ Chat was performing and the members of 3-6 Mafia saw her and liked her style. She later became a member of the group. She got her mainstream debut on their platinum single Chickenhead. She was featured on three other 3-6 Mafia albums and the soundtrack to Oz. She was also featured on the song Baby Mama from the movie Baby Boy.  Murder She Spoke, La’ Chat’s first solo album, was released in 2001, and the project sold over 200,000 units. She split from 3-6 Mafia’s Hypnotized Minds label after she had money issues. Since then, she has released three albums Dramatize (2004), Ultimate Revenge (2004), and Bad Influence (2006).  La’ Chat is now signed to Yo Gotti’s Inevitable Entertainment music label. She is currently nominated for Come-back Artist of the Year for the 2010 Knockdown-SCM Awards.  According to her MySpace page, La’ Chat released for mixtapes before Krumbz 2 Bricks (2010).

Introduction:

 La’ Chat is a Mixtape Queen because she is one of the first women to be a gangster rap and she is perfecting her skills through mixtapes. She went from admiring Michael Jackson’s Bille Jean performance to being one of the most notable women in the gangster rap industry.  This mixtape is definitely hardcore, so if you don’t like curse words or violence this is not a mixtape you should listen to.

Favorite Line: Somebody To Play Wit- “You get’s no recognition either you real or you real fake. It really don’t make no difference either you love or you gone hate.” No Lyrics Found

Top 3 Tracks: (This list is ordered from the song I like most to the song I like least.)

1. Somebody To Play Wit- This song would be a good song to be someone’s anthem. This is a song that can be appreciated by people that are in the street. La Chat lets it be known that she is not anyone to be played with. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUSP4p-kimQ
2. B!%$* A$$ N!##@- This song would be a good club song. The instrumental definitely causes you to move, whether it is a head nod or dance moves. She delivers raw lyrics on this track. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNa1LIUaUJI
3. Don’t Like Me- She talks about how she is not afraid to fight people if they disrespect her. The instrumental is solid; I don’t think it could be any better. Her lyrics are violent, but easily relatable for people that do not like people to disrespect them. No Video Found  

Bottom 3 Tracks: (This list is ordered from the song I dislike most to the song I dislike least.)

1. You Really Want It- The singer on this track is really annoying. The instrumental has some elements that are really annoying. La’ Chat has one section where her lyrics are repetitive, and it is irritating.  No Video Found
2. Don’t Look At Me- The instrumental sounds as if it comes from a movie, and it sets a good mood for the track. The gunshots on the track are annoying. The song starts over about a minute into the track, and I completely disliked that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHGD70hdEcs&feature=related
3. In Da Club- This song has parts where it sounds as if the producer forgot to make sure La’Chat’s voice wasn’t being overpowered by the instrumental. The male on the track is unneeded in my opinion. This song could have been much better without the technical problems, the male, and random gunshots on the track. No Video Found  

Overview:

I recommend the mixtape to people that like gangster rap because La’ Chat deliverers lyrics that are definitely not ladylike. In her genre she is definitely minority, but she shows that she can compare to any male that does her profession. She displays gangster rap in its most exceptional form with her tough lyrics and beats.

Other Related Links:

http://www.myspace.com/lachatrap

http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/bio/la-chat/1145605

http://www.last.fm/music/La+Chat

http://www.metrolyrics.com/lachat-lyrics.html

http://www.facebook.com/lachat

Asher Roth: From Young Ash to Mixtape King

I will be reviewing Asher Roth’s Seared Foie Gras (With Quince And Cranberry) mixtape for this post.

Listen to or download the mixtape here: 

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/11506/asher_roth_seared_foie_gras.html

Background Information:

• Birth name: Asher Paul Roth
• Birthplace: Morrisville, Philadelphia
• Influences: A Tribe Called Quest, Lauryn Hill, and Jay-Z
• How long has he been doing music: Since he was in high school
• Type of Artist: Mainstream
• Genre(s): Hip-hop
• Current Label(s): School Boy/SRC/ Universal Records
• Similar Artists: B.O.B., Charles Hamilton, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco, The Cool Kids
• Fun fact:  Jay-Z’s CD Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life is the reason he began rapping.

         Asher Paul Roth was born on August 11, 1985 in Morrisville, Philadelphia. He attended Pennsbury High School. Asher Roth got started making music in high school, when he and a friend would steal beats off MP3.com and plug a microphone directly into the computer. Asher started out going by the name Young Ash. Next his moniker was A.K.A. Then, he went with Ren-Ash-Sance. His last name before Asher was Grade A. He later decided to stick with his birth name because he felt it was unique and a sign his rap career was meant to happen. After he graduated Roth attended West Chester University and became an Elementary Education major. However, he was still recording verses over other peoples’ beats. During his sophomore year, he posted some of his verses on his MySpace page. He also sent a Friend Request to Scooter Braun, an Atlanta-based promoter and former VP of Marketing for Jermaine Dupri's So So Def. One week after speaking to Braun, Roth flew down to Atlanta and was immediately signed by Braun, who subsequently became his manager.  He was signed to a joint venture between Scooter Braun’s Schoolboy Music and Steve Rifkind’s SRC Records. His first released his music on June 13, 2008 when the DJ Drama and Don Cannon released his The GreenHouse Effect mixtape. The mixtape was released for free on the rapper’s website. Asher was featured on the cover of XXL magazine’s annual Top 10 Freshmen: Hip-Hop’s Class ’09 issue. Roth’s debut album, Asleep in the Bread Aisle, was released on April 20, 2009. He released his second mixtape Seared Foie Gras (With Quince And Cranberry) in 2010.  

Introduction:

Asher Roth is a Mixtape King because he has gone from making songs with his friend in a basement to a popular name. Asher was first known as Young Ash, and he went through a slew of nicknames before he decided to go by his birth given name. Asher Roth has openly said he doesn’t do some of the things he raps about, which makes me think he is persuasive with his lyrics because I believed he was doing all the things he said.   

Favorite Line: Hot Wangs- “But it burns, rap getting on my nerves. Everything nowadays watered down for the herbs.”  There Are No Lyrics Provided for This Song

Top 3 Tracks: (This list is ordered from the song I like most to the song I like least.)

1. Hot Wangs- This song has a truly captivating instrumental. Asher shows his swagger on this track. His lyrics are raw and the elements of this song couldn’t be put together more nicely. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou0frefouFY
2. Con-fid-ence- Asher truly shows his confidence on this track. He talks about how members of his race demean him for rapping. He stated that “life is all about confidence,” and if it is he definitely living his life to the fullest on this track. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7iLtXeZKk4
3. What Up Truck- This instrumental is mesmerizing, for lack of better words. Asher and Truck North both deliver captivating lyrics. I recommend this song is for people that are focused.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui3E1vOENRY&feature=related

Bottom 3 Tracks: (This list is ordered from the song I dislike most to the song I dislike least.)

1. Rik Smits- I do not like the sample Asher used for this song nor the instrumental all together. I couldn’t really see where Asher was coming from on this song. I found this song to be a little annoying at times. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy393xmHDuQ&feature=related
2. Ash &Dem-This song is not appealing to me. Asher lyrics seem lackluster on this song. He should have gone harder on this song, and then the song would have been more appealing.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG_saXusCQc&feature=related
3. Calling Me- This song was too repetitive for me. This song opens talking about how Asher is tired, and this song does the same to me. The song puts this mixtape to sleep for a moment because is too slow in the context where it is placed on the mixtape, and it seems as if he just put his mixtape on snooze for a moment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS2wB3ejMEQ

Overview:

I recommend the Seared Foie Gras (With Quince And Cranberry mixtape to people that like diversity. Asher Roth holds his own in the rap game where he is a minority. Asher delivers raw lyrics and he does so confidently.

Other Related Links:

http://asherrothmusic.com/#/bio

http://www.last.fm/music/Asher+Roth

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/33830383.html

http://www.myspace.com/asherrothmusic

http://vimeo.com/4689129