Auto-Tune Is Officially Dead

One of Jay-Z's kindest acts was to go on a personal crusade to stop everybody from using auto-tune -- or at least, write one song about it. What was once an occasional commodity, made popular by Zapp & Roger Troutman (and later, Teddy Riley), became a crutch for talentless buffoons and lazy singers to effortlessly modulate the pitch of their vocals. What was once cool, became more annoying than waiting for 3 hours at the DMV, only to be told that you were in the wrong line.

Unfortunately, he rapped in vain as artists continued to abuse the application like musical meth addicts... that is until NOW.

Flavor Flav must have caught wind of Jay-Z's plight & decided to offer his help by single-handedly eradicating any desire to even hear that word again. He has created something so powerful, that some have been rendered sterile within seconds. So, I'm hereby challenging you, the reader to take a gander. Take a look at this masterpiece -- and I dare you not to shed a tear.

Without further ado, I present to you:

FLAVOR FLAV - "I'LL NEVER LET YOU GO"



Happy new year... bitches.

Best Commercial of 2009

No more words -- just enjoy:

Random Song of the Week: 8/30

There is truly nothing that I can say to introduce this video... except the following:

Q: What do you get when you cross short shorts, countless gold rope chains and the glorious self-indulgence of the 80s with a no-nonsense tough guy?

A: The song of the week -- "Treat Your Mother Right" by Mr. T. Enjoy... and I dare you not to literally laugh your ass off.

Random Song of the Week: 8/9/09

I'm a year older!

Yes, yes... your favorite non-average male blogger just celebrated a birthday -- by having one of the longest 4-day work weeks known to mankind. If not for one of my best friends coming up to Philly this weekend, I would have nothing to motivate me through it.

Anyway, I was in the mood to cool out again this week... so I present to you my song of the week for 8/9: "Let's Groove" by Earth, Wind & Fire.

Enjoy... and I challenge you to NOT nod your head & sing along!

Random Song of the Week: 8/2/09

I'm back after a week off! I spent a little time up in Toronto for one of my best friend's bachelor parties. Have I ever told you before how much I love that city? Allow me to do so now.

I FUCKING LOVE TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA. What a great city! This was proof that my trip there last year was far from a fluke. The people, the parade, the parties, the food, the landscape -- everything... I just wish I could take all of my friends there for one good weeekend.

Anyway, after a nice long weekend in heaven, I was in the mood to cool out... so I present to you my song of the week for 8/2: "A Long Walk" by Jill Scott.

Enjoy... and I challenge you to NOT nod your head & sing along!

Random Song of the Week: 7/19

This week, we're still hanging around in the 80s... I wasn't ready to step away quite yet!

I present to you the song of the week: "Oh Shiela" by Ready For The World.

Enjoy... and I challenge you to NOT nod your head & sing along!

Random Song of the Week: 7/12

This is something that I do every week at work, so I figured I'd start doing it here. I'd like to share with you what I'll call my "Random Song of the Week."

This week, I plan to take you back to a time when music was the veritable SHIT.

I present to you: "Rock Steady" by The Whispers.

Enjoy... and I challenge you to NOT nod your head & sing along!

Inappropriate

This is just inexcusable.

OK! Weekly magazine decided to use a close-up photo of MJ being attended to by medical personnel in what would be his final moments.

To say that I'm disturbed would be an understatement. MJ or not, I really don't think this was appropriate by any measure. As inappropriate as I think this celebration was, this magazine cover really took the cake... then again, I don't even want to get started on NY politician Peter King. It's only a matter of time before his dirty laundry is aired -- after all, he is a politician. Politicians without skeletons in their closets are like baseball players without steroids: presumed to be the minority. I'd love to hear what he has to say when the shoe is on the other foot.

I understand that his passing was tragic and that he meant a lot to so many (which some of us didn't realize until it was too late), but this is sensationalism beyond comprehension.

The link is below, if you so dare to click. If so, I'd love to get your opinion; if not, I'm sure that I've given you enough information to opine anyway.

WARNING: This link says it all...

The Death of a Legend

Disclaimer: This blog is solely my opinion/sentiment. If you have a problem with it, then click the back arrow at the top of your browser.


It has taken me 24 hours to be able to form a coherent thought. I still don't want to believe the news, although it is splattered all over the TV and internet. Although we know that everyone is mortal, nothing can prepare you for premature departure. As sad as I was to learn that Farrah Fawcett had succombed to her years-long battle with cancer, it paled in comparison to the feeling that I would soon have in the pit of my stomach mere hours later.

One of the absolute greatest musicians of all time passed away on June 25, 2009 at 2:26pm PST. Michael Joseph Jackson. MJ. The King of Pop. He was only 50 years old.

Despite only living to the age of 50, MJ was able to give us 45 years of entertainment. He was robbed of the typical American childhood so that he might be able to provide us with some of the most breathtaking, spectacular music & dancing that many of us had ever heard or seen. My first musical memories involve the best-selling album of all time, "Thriller." There was little that this man could do musically that did not inspire me. I challenge you to search the internet for his lyrics and really take a good look. You will find much inspiration and creativity -- something that is sorely lacking in today's music scene. Whenever I was asked the once ultimate question (MJ or Prince?), I always had the same answer... MJ all day.

Some people out there are actually pleased or indifferent to the fact that he has passed away. I can understand if you felt no connection to the man, but to cheer his death? That is one of the sickest things imaginable. That was someone's father, brother, cousin, son, nephew and hero. There is no reason to spread such vile, negative, virulent filth on such a somber occasion. As the old saying goes, "if you don't have anything good to say, then don't say anything at all." So many are trying to chastise those of us who mourn. Your beliefs are exactly that -- yours. Do not tell me who to mourn or how. I lament the loss of the biggest musician of my lifetime and make no apologies for it. If your family member were to pass and the public had a similar reaction, you'd be sickened to your very core.

Michael was obviously what I like to call "psychologically underdeveloped" for a man of his age. He spent his childhood staring at other kids through the window instead of playing like a normal 5 year-old. He never got to go to school with "normal" kids and experience "normal" life. He seemed to overcompensate for this later in life, as evidenced by his "Peter Pan" mentality. He was a caring, thoughtful person who generated millions upon millions of dollars for charitable causes. He wanted to give kids the love & support that he never received as a child. Although I acknowledge that he went too far by allowing them to sleep in his bed, I truly believe that his intentions were not what the media would have us believe, and that the stress & shock of a world turning against him truly hurt him. He never seemed to recover fully from the initial backlash.

As a somewhat rational person, I can certainly admit that he continued to make mistakes later (dangling baby, future molestation accusations, etc) -- but I still do not believe that the man had a malicious bone in his body. I think that Michael truly cared for this world and wanted nothing more than to heal it...

So Michael, I say this to you: like millions of people before me (and hopefully after), I love you. I love your music, message, humility and creativity. I can only hope that in death, you are given the respect & love that you so lacked & desired in life. My only regret is that I was never able to see you live. I just knew the folks in England were in for a real treat next month.

R.I.P., Michael.

You will forever be missed -- but your music will never be forgotten.

I Think I'm Addicted...

...to music.

This addiction of mine has grown with each passing day. In fact, I have procured no less than 5 albums in the last 10 days. From Ryan Leslie to Keri Hilson, I'm wallowing in new music right now. To be honest, I've been pleasantly surprised by most of it... the grand majority, in fact.

Ryan Leslie's album has a nice, chill vibe to it -- enough to help curb my road rages (believe it or not). I also appreciate the man's hustle and resolve. I'm going to give it a few more spins, but I'm sure it will earn a place in my current rotation.

Rick Ross is not generally my favorite artist, but his collaboration with John Legend ("Magnificent") lives up to it's name. I've only heard a few tracks of it so far, but I'll tell you this: he absolutely murders the intro in the best way possible. If any of the other songs are like that, I may have to eat my past words.

Keri Hilson's album is good uptempo music with a few slower, sexy songs thrown in for good measure. I could kill Akon for screaming all over his cameo, but I think it was a very solid debut effort. I certainly can't get "Knock You Down" out of my head for the life of me (Danja put himself on the map with that beat). Another fantastic track is "How Does It Feel?" -- because once you get past Timbo's initial interference, Keri delivers a catchy track that should find an audience with females that tend to date less-than-considerate men.

I haven't had a chance to listen to very many songs on Jadakiss' new album, but he's a very consistent guy and I refuse to believe that I will be anything less than pleased -- especially if "By My Side" is any indication. For good measure, there are 3 bonus tracks... and I like bonuses.

As bad as I have it for Keri (musically and otherwise), I have to admit that one album currently REFUSES stubbornly to dislodge itself from my CD player -- and in particular, the lead single doesn't seem to want to roll off my tongue into that gentle night...

So, ladies and gentlemen -- without further ado:

Sky High

If you'll refer to my last post, you'll understand when I tell you that my job isn't terribly engaging. I mean, don't get me wrong -- crunching numbers all day is a much better task than digging graves or being a mortgage broker right now -- but unless I'm talking to one of my many co-workers, I often find myself less than fulfilled.

So how have I kept sane over the last 18 months? Why that's quite elementary, my dear Watson -- I get high as shit... on MUSIC. Rage Against the Machine, The Game, T.I. ("Live Your Life" is audio crack), John Legend (can't stop nodding my head to "Green Light"), Raheem Devaughn ("Try Again" -- been there), Jill Scott, N.E.R.D., Ledisi, Dru Hill (I've lived "One Good Reason"), Gnarls Barkley, Robin Thicke (uhhh... "Magic" anyone?), Usher, Alicia Keys, Chrisette Michele ("Like A Dream" is a great 1st track), Bob Marley and soooo many more artists keep my mind engaged, my lips moving and my facial muscles contorting into a smile all day long.

I love music. I've only reached the tip of the iceberg. There are so many different genres and artists that I've yet to experience. I love reading my buddy Dr. Snob's profile because I always learn about some new artist of whom I'd never previously heard... such a beautiful thing. (Note to Dr. Snob: Please don't stop, because I need my fix -- thanks!)

I believe it when people say that music is the international language. Whether it's the melody, instruments, arrangement and/or lyrics, the great songs always find a way to stand out in the crowd of dull, uninspired drivel that has inundated the airwaves.

Maybe it's Travis Barker on the drums or Luther's smooth, effortless vocals that do it for you. Doesn't matter. At the end of the day, the music must speak to you. To your life, experiences, dreams, failures, successes, fears... good music should speak to you. It should make you sing, dance, cry, smile, frown, reminisce, scrutinize... it should just make you feel something inside. There is nothing like the goosebumps I get when I hear a great song.

Not to mention, I'll be too busy zoning out to realize that I want to choke out the account manager on the other end of my e-mail.

The Death of the R&B Group

I'm sure you've seen or heard about this story, but let me add this to it: I'm a HUGE Dru Hill fan. Anybody who knows me at all is well aware of this fact (if you don't know, just ask Your Friendly Neighborhood Skeptic and see what he says. I writhe in agony in between their albums, moreso once Woody left the group back in '98-'99 to return to gospel music -- thus putting their 3rd studio album on hold for what would be 2 more years. Once it finally dropped, I thoroughly embraced it... singing "I Should Be" at the top of my lungs to a woman (that in retrospect, certainly didn't deserve it). I've related to many of their hits over the years, like "Beauty", "Five Steps", "Tell Me", "One Good Reason" and so many more. Tell me that (as an R&B fan) you haven't thoroughly enjoyed one or more of their songs and I'd simply have to question your musical IQ. I love this group and unfortunately, this is to be my last memory of them together:



For those that haven't seen it, it's a video clip of the original 4 members of the group on 92Q (in Baltimore) announcing their reunion and subsequent 4th studio album -- only to be "surprised" by Woody minutes later, as he revealed that he would not be rejoining them. I really don't want to believe that this was staged -- but then again, I don't want to believe that it was real... it's a lose-lose situation. If it were real, I'd have to seriously question Woody's scruples and wonder why he didn't simply announce this before the interview. Was he gripped by the hand of the Almighty on his way to the station? Doesn't add up... but apparently, the group has been performing as a trio as they continue to tour with Keith Sweat (which could theoretically put to rest the rumors that it was all a work). Whether they knew beforehand that he was leaving or it was real all along, it doesn't look like the original quartet will no longer sing together -- which is bad news all around for a fan like me.

This makes me wonder -- what happened to all the great trios/quartets/quintets? From the oldies to now, the male R&B groups just can't seem to survive anymore. Remember how you felt when you first heard 112 sing "Cupid" or how hot Shai was? Do you remember the ridiculousness that was Jodeci? How about Hi-Five? Weren't you singing along with En Vogue? Remember Heavy D and (who?) Soul For Real. New Edition used to do the damn thing, didn't they? 702 repped Vegas hard. Who didn't love SWV? BBD, Troop, Blackstreet, Guy, etc... I bet you can name a plethora of groups that were hot to death and faded away before you were ready to let them go (or maybe you were, and were happy to see them go!)

This is how I feel about Dru Hill falling apart -- no bullshit. They were one of my last hopes. Ever since Diddy decided to stop caring about 112, so did the rest of America. We can't even get a K-Ci & Jo-Jo album at this point. Anyway, you get my point. I can only hope that something dramatic will happen in the future to stop this horrible trend and restore the sanctuary of super-R&B-group-dom.

So the question of the day: Which R&B groups do you all miss?