Greetings Fellow Idol Watchers! The new season of Idol has been underway for quite some time now and we’re finally down to the final 12, so I decided that this year we’d have some fun and add friendly competition to the mix! I haven’t figured out the grand prize yet, but bragging rights are a definite!! I’ll DEFINITELY throw in a bigger prize, here’s how it works:

TO PLAY: list the order you believe the contestants will leave the show.  Points are earned for contestants picked to stay at a value equal to the round.  Confusing enough?  Let me try to help.

For example, if Crystal “There’s no such thing as toothpaste” Bowersox were to make the final twelve, you may be inclined to pick her to be the first to leave.  If you are correct, you would earn one point apiece for the contestants not chosen to leave. That equals 11 points.  If someone other than Crystal “Dirty hair is how I roll” Bowersox were to leave, you would have only earned 10 points.  Round 2 is scored the same at two points per remaining contestant.  You do not earn points for people you had previously picked to depart the show.  The total number of points which can be earned from start to finish is 286.

Still confused?  I thought so.  Just fill out the  entry sheet, e-mail it to idolpool@sound-savvy.com and I’ll take care of the math and provide weekly updates here on Sound-Savvy. If you have trouble downloading the form (It’s a Google Doc) send an email to idolpool@sound-savvy.com and I’ll email you the form! Your entries will go into a spreadsheet that will be updated weekly as well so you can see how much you’re beating the competition — and talk junk on Twitter!

“Two forces engaged to create a musical collage…“  – Mullage

The year of 2009 saw an abundance of newcomers to the hip-hop world including B-Boi and B-Town, who collectively form the duo Mullage (From The Ground Up Records/Jive). Musically, they bring a different sound and a new flavor to the ATL hip-hop scene with their smooth delivery, mellow style and infectious hooks. Their debut single Trick’N easily became a summer anthem with its T-Pain assisted hook and massive appeal. Riding the wave of their successful single, Mullage has been busy putting in work in the studio, releasing Elevators: The Pre-Album last fall and, more recently, a new mixtape entitled This Is For The Radio. “We’re always working” comments B-Town. “We never know what’s going on in our city because we’re always working”.  Yet with all this work, there is still a need to address detractors that would label Mullage the latest “one-hit wonder” in hip-hop.

“It’s simple, do your research” says B-Boi. “Go download the pre-album, and then download the mixtape This Is For The Radio and all questions and concerns will be answered.” That mixtape, a compilation of 15 songs, features mostly original music but also includes remixes of songs from artists like The Dream and Sade and “pays homage to the artists that made it possible for us to do what we do.”

Watching the fellas interact, it’s easy to see their similarities in character and the differences that allow them to complement and feed off one another. Of the offerings on This Is For The Radio, B-Boi’s says Summertime is most reflective of his character and style. “That’s my persona; I got a real bright persona. I come in the room and brighten it up. That’s just how I am. With my personality, people draw to me.” On the flipside, B-Town chose the “speak-your-mind” nature of The Art of Storytelling and the mellower Grindin’ to interpret his individuality.

Though they’re signed to From The Ground Up Records thru Jive Records, B-Town describes the journey they’ve had since scoring a deal by simply saying “It’s been tough.” In the video interview, we talk at length about an incident at Howard University’s homecoming where the duo’s performance set was downsized immensely due to Fabolous’ disregard for the other performers on the bill. And that’s just one example of the hardships they’ve faced as newcomers to the music industry, but steadfast they remain. “I just want people to understand that this is a dedication of your life, there’s nothing outside of this,” B-Town continues and later likens their label situation to that of industry veteran Monica. “If you wanna know what we’re going through, look at Monica’s show. She’s been in the game for, how long? And they still don’t know what to do [with her]. We’re in the same situation.”

“It’s the work ethic, the consistency and the music” B-Boi says confidently of the factors that separate Mullage from their numerous fellow newcomers to the industry. “Communicating with the fans is one of the most important things. Twitter is one of the most important things we have, we’re able to communicate with our fans daily and find out what they like and what they wanna hear from us.”

While their mixtape game may be hefty, a full length album is definitely on the way. “It’s coming along, it’s still being slow roasted” B-Town says. The Element of Versatility is expected to be available this summer from Mullage and promises even more hits, and a broader peek into the lives of the two former military men. “We’re making relevant music and we’re basically telling you our story from beginning to end but it’s something that everyone can look forward to being involved in.”

Following the interview, I learned that Mullage was solicited, invited and interviewed by XXL Magazine to be apart of the Fresmen 2010 list but when the final list was produced, Mullage was not in the line-up. They’ve recorded a track that addresses the snub entitled XXL Valedictorians (click here to listen and download) I’ve firsthand heard some of their new music and I can definitely vouch for the fact that Mullage is NOT done! Watch the full video interview below that goes into much greater detail addressing the issues of being labeled a “one-hit wonder”, being snubbed in the industry and the discussion about their HOT new mixtape, This Is For The Radio, available right here for download. Check it out…

Sound-Savvy Interviews Rap Duo MULLAGE from Mack Sound-Savvy on Vimeo.

Well, after weeks of waiting and release date pushbacks (on a music video?) we finally get the video for Telephone featuring Lady Gaga and Beyonce. And folks, it was WORTH THE WAIT!! This 9 minute-clip is shot Tarantino-style and even features the infamous Pussy Wagon from the Kill Bill saga. Lady Gaga’s creative energy knows no bounds! I’ve always thought she channeled Madonna but the influence really shows in this video.  I must say this is one of the best videos I’ve seen from any artist in quite some time! It’s edgy, it’s sexy, it’s outside the box! Check out the cameo from Tyrese as well. The dance breakdown near the end sets the whole thing off. Enjoy and leave your thoughts on the Bey-Gaga collab below!

Do I dig it? Yes I do. And for a number of reasons. For one thing, it’s fresh, it’s different and I love the sound of this record. Bruno Mars is making a name for himself on these hooks, first appearing with B.O.B. on Nothin’ On You, now alongside this Gym Class Heroes alumnus. The song is so carefree… I totally dig the vibe of this joint, can’t wait to hear Lazarus, the new album from Mr. McCoy… COMING SOON!

Click here to download

I’m trying really hard… really hard to like something off of Raymond vs. Raymond, and this song is decent but the hook is kills the song in my opinion. Seriously, the verses work, the bridge is a winner, but the hook (‘Gon take me to jail’). T.I.’s verse is the saving grace of this track, without it, I’d throw this in the loser pile with the rest of the Usher leaks…

Click here to download

There’s a reason people dig Diggy Simmons – it’s his delivery. He’s not trying extra hard to come off as this hardcore rapper we know he isn’t or trying to rebel against the good name his father has built up for him. In this video, Diggy rhymes over Nas’ Made Ya Look beat. I won’t call it a freestyle cause I’m pretty sure this wasn’t off the top, but it’s a dope re-working. Someone’s got nice pen skills…

Diggy – Made you look Freestyle (Flow Stoopid) from Diggy Simmons on Vimeo.

In memory and honor of the events that struck the impoverished nation of Haiti, Lupe Fiasco has joined forces with Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park to record Resurrection. This video is powerful and very stirring to say the least. The song itself has a haunting background track. The outpouring of love for Haiti has been abundant and it continues…

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Taio Cruz. He’s a UK Pop Star with a lot of credit to his name having headlined his own tour, released a gold-selling album AND won a BRIT Award. So though he’s a newcomer to us here in the States, the other side of the pond is very familiar with Mr. Cruz. Break Your Heart is a single from his sophomore album, which will be his first US release when it his shelves later this year. The song itself has a strong electronic/dance feel to it, very easy to groove to. He made history this past week as his song shot from #53 to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts so if you’re unaware, get savvy…

For the past few months, collegiate fraternities and sororities across the country have been abuzz over the largest step competition to sweep the nation… EVER! The National Sprite Step-off Competition brought together more than 70 step teams from numerous greek-letter organizations on college campuses in all regions of the country to compete at an age-old tradition for the chance to win the grand prize of $100,000. Each team competed in a qualifying event and regional competitions. Winners in those events advance to the regional finals and those winners make it to the big stage – The Atlanta Civic Center.

Sponsored by Sprite, this year’s finale competition was hosted by Atlanta’s hometown hero Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges and was graced with celebrity appearances by R&B singers Monica, Lloyd, and Chilli (of TLC), along with reality-TV Star Nene Leakes and a special performance by Grammy-nominated rising hip-hop star Drake. The teams left it all on the floor, competing for the hefty sums in front of a capacity-filled venue. Attendees included the young and old, college alumni, college hopefuls and everyone in between and beyond looking to catch the rhythm and enjoy the phenomenal performances of dance, soul and sound captured beneath the stomping, clapping and synchronous movements on the stage.

The competition is relayed through a six-part reality show mini-series The Stepoff airing weekly on MTV2 and is helmed by two young and ambitious producers Tracey Baker-Simmons and Wanda Shelley.

"...nothing has been as impactful since 'A Different World'..." - Tracey Baker-Simmons and Wanda Shelley

Each stop on the national tour includes a competition preceded by a community service activity that the teams participate in. “It’s inspiring,you get to see the stepping, (kids are attracted to that) but you also get to see their community service initiatives, the giving back…” Baker-Simmons says, speaking on the impact of the show. “We didn’t have to push the community service, that’s a part of their culture – that’s what they do. There’s more to being in a greek-letter organization than Stepping. Most importantly by watching the show, we’re hoping to inspire more kids to want to go to college”

With delight Shelley adds, “We’ve gotten a lot of responses that nothing has been as impactful since A Different World. With the television series you get to feel the brotherhood and unity that comes about from being a part of these organizations”. No truer words; unity is indeed a dominant theme on the show and in the competition. With music that includes some of today’s biggest pop hits, to classic tunes of yesteryear, teams ranging from 3 members to more than 10 worked together toward a common goal, with canes, costumes, mega-size props and high-flying antics, but only one team could win – or so we thought.

The Ladies of Zeta Tau Alpha

On the evening of the finale, the ladies of the Epsilon Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha captured the title of National Champions, but their victory would soon be slightly diminished by what Sprite has described as a “scoring discrepancy” which has now named two sorority champs. The Zeta ladies now share their title with the Tau Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, originally named second place winners and awarded $50,000. The original announcement of Zeta Tau Alpha as the sole grand prize winner sparked immediate debate, causing bloggers and critics to label this an issue of race. However, this competition was open to all greek-letter organizations, not simply the “divine nine”, a group of African-American founded fraternities and sororities with predominance of membership belonging to the African American community. Furthermore, stepping is a race-less art form. It involves rhythm and movement and is not bound by skin tone or cultural stipulations. As one in attendance at the event, I can vouch for the impeccable performances by both teams but in the end Zeta Tau Alpha was, in fact, the better team. Beyond that, most if not all of the judges were of African American descent, including singers Monica and Chilli. Details of the “scoring discrepancy” were not released, neither were the scoring sheets for either team. While both teams can be grateful for their $100,000 prize money, one can’t help but wonder how a discrepancy was made after more than 30 minutes of deliberation.

The men of Alpha Phi Alpha have a lot to be proud of, with two chapters ranking in the 1^st and 2^nd place slots (Chapters Delta Xi and Alpha Phi, respectively). Coming in third for the are the men of Phi Beta Sigma (Rutgers University) and the Sigma chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, each winning $25,000 – and with no further discrepancies. Speculation will continue as to whether this was a ratings plot or an attempt to appease the majority of the show’s demographic – at least until next year, when the competition begins again and to the victors will again go all the spoils… and the bragging rights!

Click here to download