Showing posts with label N.E.R.D.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label N.E.R.D.. Show all posts
N.E.R.D. ft. Santogold - Soldier
Ahhh yes.. the fellas of N.E.R.D. are back!!! If you've never bought one of their albums, let me invite you to expand your musical tastes and go on an audible high. It's different, but it's highly enjoyable. Soldier is presumably the first single from their forthcoming Instant Gratification album due out in 2010.
Audio: N.E.R.D. ft. Santogold - Soldier
Audio: N.E.R.D. ft. Santogold - Soldier
Party Like A Rockstar!!
All the girls standing in the line for the bathroom!
Artist: N.E.R.D. featuring Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and Pusha TSong: Everybody Nose (Remix)
Album: Seeing Sounds
What can I say about this video? 80's kids stand up!! You've gotta hear the album to totally feel this video and know what kinda vibe they were on to conceptualize something like this. Donkey Kong makes an appearance alongside some of the other prehistoric video games from the decade that shaped our streams of consciousness! Then you add some of the best rappers in the game right now to the mix. N.E.R.D. is on some good shit right now, I think I'mma catch contact just watchin the video...
Related Post: Spaz If You Want To!
Spaz If You Want To!
You know it’s been a minute since uh… we expressed ourselves… it takes a lot of courage to say this but umm… I see sounds...
Artist: N.E.R.D.
Album: Seeing Sounds
Release Date: 6.9.08
Let’s get one thing straight: the only time you can actually “see sounds” is if you’re on a SERIOUS high! Seeing Sounds is N.E.R.D.’s followup to 2004’s Fly Or Die and it’s made to do just that – stimulate your auditory senses into a state of eargasmic euphoria. From start to finish, this album is a genre-defying compilation of hip-hop, rock, and pop music. Don’t expect this album to give you some philosophical epiphany. You won’t find a raging war between Pharrell and the media… or anyone for that matter. No the lyrical content on this CD won’t bring you to some higher moral ground or some mental awakening. In short, there’s nothing of huge importance here, but N.E.R.D. doesn’t really give a damn… and that’s what makes this album so damn good.
It’s a concept album for sure, an audible drug that takes you on a mental trip and tells a pretty vivid story. On Time For Some Action, he’s so high that he’s finally developed the courage to stop being a punk bitch and go holla at her. She notices the slight hint of bitchassness, but thinks he’s cute, so she goes to re-up her high on Everybody Nose (“because all the girls standing in the line for the bathroom”). Then she gets back, he’s even more high now, and so is she, and he feeds her lies with poetic metaphors about looking into her eyes, the Windows to her soul. It’s so sappy and sentimental that it blows her high, so she blows him off as Anti-Matter, to which he responds “Motherfucker are you ADHD?” and then proceeds to Spaz out in the club, reiterating the fact that he “ain’t a punk bitch”. She finds this sexy, somehow, and they get busy. Tables turned: he really intended for this to be a one-nighter, but she missed that memo, and stalks him on the imaginatively comical Yeah You. Finally she’s out of the picture, and then he realizes she was probably the one on Sooner or Later, but of course its too little too late for our resident genius. So what do you do now? That’s right, get high again and give Cupid a solid “Fuck you!” on Happy (come on now, even the instrumental sounds high!). You Know What is a hell of a track, because he’s still high but more in touch with reality, and Laugh About It, does just that.
Musically, this project excels in many areas. The title Seeing Sounds is probably derived from the effects of such different elements that bring the songs together. The saxophone on Yeah You has a jazzy, yet annoying sound, kinda like you’d imagine from an unnervingly deranged stalker. There’s a grunge guitar intro on Anti-Matter and the aggressive beat switch on Spaz really makes you get O.O.C. for a minute. Happy is one of those tracks that feels like you’re swirling in colors, dazed but feeling on top of the world. Translation: you’re high!
Tensions are high in the country right now: there’s a war going on, a failing economy, record high gas prices, and the biggest presidential race in history. But none of that really matters when you pop in Seeing Sounds. This is just the escape a music-head like me needs. There’s a lot of energy and emotion packed into this project, and it was released at just the right time, when people need a distraction from the political and social bullshit. So who cares if it isn’t the most philosophical? RELAX PEOPLE, spaz out for a change and have some fun…
-Mack-
The Brightest Star In The Universe
''We need the brightest star in the universe — you, Kanye! Only you can bring us home. You can glow in the dark!'' – Jane
Concert Review of 'The Glow In The Dark' Tour
Location: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
Date: 5.8.08
Concert Review of 'The Glow In The Dark' Tour
Location: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
Date: 5.8.08
I’ve never been a huge fan of hip-hop concerts. I mean, I’ve been to my share, but there’s usually nothing really exciting: 16 different guys on stage during one guy’s set and unless you’re in-the-know, you’re probably guessing which one is the actual performer. Beyond that, hip-hop shows in the past (with a few exceptions) have proven to lack the one thing that sells out shows – artistry. The Glow in the Dark Tour, however, challenged that theory: 4 performers, one stage, and thousands of fans. The highlight of the night, Mr. Kanye West, delivered an astounding performance, and while he didn’t make me a fan of hip-hop shows, he definitely made me a fan of the Kanye West show…
Opening the show was Lupe Fiasco. Now when the intro music was cued, I didn’t know whether to expect the cool young Lu, or a half-dressed Spartan named Leonidas. The theme music from 300 melted away for Fiasco’s triumphant entrance, and an energetic performance of The Coolest. With the same swag, he took us to
Next on the bill were the brothers of N.E.R.D. Let me preface this: I don’t own any N.E.R.D. albums, nor have I listened to any in their entirety. However, those brothers can ROCK!! They performed the better known hits Lapdance, and She Wants To Move. Apparently, I was in the minority, as the rest of the crowd sang along to Brain, and some song that asks “Are you ADHD?” Ummmm.… yeah, okay. Only downside was that you couldn’t hear a word they were saying. I know they’re a rock band, but it helps when people can actually hear you along with the music. Try a sound check next time fellas. But hey that on-stage crumping cameo from Chris Brown at least made their new joint Spaz more enjoyable and memorable.
Speaking of Chris Breezy, let’s move on to his woman: the beautiful Rihanna. With her initial engulfed in flashing lights, Rihanna emerges in a neon trimmed, form-fitting outfit to kick off with Breakin’ Dishes, from her latest album Good Girl Gone Bad. She moved the entire arena with some of her previous hits including S.O.S. and Pon De Replay. Ri-ri proved herself to be more than just a studio singer as she belted out her ballads Unfaithful, and a solo rendition of Hate That I Love You. Her set closed with her best smash to date, Umbrella, which indeed led the entire arena to their feet, chanting along every word and every ”ella ella eh eh”. Overall, her performance was great, much better than I expected. Oh, and for the record: I’m officially hating on Chris Brown, this girl is amazingly beautiful.
Harder, better, faster…STRONGER. The guy sitting next to me wondered aloud as to why this show is called the Glow In The Dark Tour. By the end of the night, we all knew the answer – Kanye sets the place on FIRE!!! I’ll try not to spoil too much of this for you but if you’re planning to see the show, stop reading now. He was like a kid onstage living strictly within his own imagination. He performed for 90 minutes straight, with barely any breaks in between. From his elaborate futuristic theme and introduction to his Homecoming ending, Kan-the-Louis-Vuitton-Don kept the entire crowd on their feet. There’s no way you couldn’t feel the energy emanating from Kanye, he was like a supernova on stage! After his talking spaceship crash lands, Mr. West finds himself on a quest to virtually ROCK his way home. Along the way, he took the audience Through The Wire, introduced us to The Good Life, and taught us all how to Touch The Sky with the help of Lupe Fiasco. On Diamonds From Sierra Leone, the audience created a sea of diamonds, as everyone in the place threw up the dynasty sign. He touched hearts and minds with his performances of Jesus Walks and Hey Mama, and you could feel the tears and sadness in Kanye’s voice. The energy reached a max as West moved erratically while performing Stronger bringing the crowd to an ultimate high. As he closed, he reminded the audience that yes, he’s got a big mouth and a big ego. In fact, his ego is so big, there wasn’t room for his background singers or band on stage, they were all down front! You can’t tell him nothing; but I guess when you’re at the top of the charts and selling out arenas, you can do that! After an amazing show like that, he’s bound to set the world on fire, and have us all glowing in the dark.
-MackN2U-
