THEY KNOW WHAT WE LIKE....
Mr. Welcome to Atl is back, & this time he brought my baby daddy Chris Brown with him. If all dudes possessed the power Luda has, we (women) would be in a world of trouble. For the fellas, he has blessed you with enough eye candy to make yourself go blind. I love the track so much, I've been playing it on repeat; just so I can overdose on CB. I will admit, he is my crack. Yes he is younger than me, but who cares! This guy is FINE! Overall, this is a great video, & from the makings of it, as seen on BET, they had plenty fun. Luda, answer this? Do you know what Mello likes????!?!?
-Mello-
He Did You Wrong....
I think leaving the nest & flying solo was the best thing Pleasure P could have done for his career. Although, I wouldn't necessarily deem myself a fan, I do enjoy this track. The lyrics are very relatable, & I definately agree with making things work in a relationship; whether you were right or wrong. Face the issue head on, instead of running. He gets kudos for being the standup guy & creating a video that actually goes along with the song.
-Mello-
Marky & Mick Boogie take us to the DRIVE-THRU
download your own copy NOW!!http://www.zshare.net/download/18211226e5852ddd/
If you haven't downloaded this mixtape, you're trippin! Marky is definately putting on for his city. If this is your first time being introduced to Marky, you better do your Homework; his first mixtape series. He's a lyrical genius, & he proves it on the Drive-Thru. He paints a picture & is the perfect story teller. Mellomusic has already put you on to Marky before, if you didn't pick up on him, shame on you. He's guaranteed to go places. Don't say I didn't warn ya!
-Mello-
ONE NIGHT ONLY!!!
Event: Celine Dion World Tour
Date: 9.8.08Venue: Verizon Center
Grade: A++++++
For all that know me, I'm an avid listener of music.; GOOD music that is. Last night, thanks to my brother, I had the opportunity to witness a concert like no other. For those individuals who don't know Mellomusic, let me be the first to say, I have an eclectic taste when it comes to my tunes. I think outside the box, & I NEVER limit my ears to whats hip. With that being said, lets get on with this review.
The concert started with an opening act, whom, honestly, could have been waivered. He was a mix between a comedian & singer, who did his best to try to emulate some of the most celebrated artists around, such as Aaron Neville, Usher, Elvis, Willie Nelson, just to name a few. If i didn't know any better, he clearly was a Barack supporter, he threw out countless jabs on the Bush regime. (Vote or Die, BARACK 08) Because I didn't catch the name of the opening act, we'll refer to him as ????. Yea, it was that bad. I was anticipating the phenominal Celine Dion, so his 30 minutes of fame ran its course. Exit stage left! Granted we had to wait 30 mins for the main event to begin, and folks, they seemed like an eternity, but they were WELL WORTH IT.
House lights OUT. I was like a kid in a candy store. It's just something about the main event that gets my blood to flowing. FLASHING LIGHTS, props goes to the production crew! Every screen served its purpose. Backdrops of photoshoots, chronological events leading up to THIS event, you name it, she had it. Baboom, Baboom, Baboom goes my heart as I anxiously await Celine to come on stage.
BOOM! She's here, in a beautiful fuschia dress, commanding everyones attention. She performed a multitude of hits streaming from All By Myself, I'm Your Lady, Because You Loved Me, The Prayer, Man's World (James Brown), just to name a few. In between wardrobe changes, her backup singers & dancers each had their own set to keep the over anxious crowd entertained.
She performed for a solid two hours. Hit after hit. She was full of energy & she fed off of our energy, making her performance one to remember. She ended the show with the tear jerker My Heart Will Go On, laced in a black free flowing dress, the set was real intimate with exceprts from the motion picture Titanic playing in the backdrop. This song gets me every time! I held back the tears, because she sang it with so much emotion. What a way to end the night.
Celine has proven she's at the top of her career. The night was simply magical & worth every dollar spent. She's an icon, and she's simply fabolous. If I had to do it all over again, you already know the answer would be a YES!
The concert started with an opening act, whom, honestly, could have been waivered. He was a mix between a comedian & singer, who did his best to try to emulate some of the most celebrated artists around, such as Aaron Neville, Usher, Elvis, Willie Nelson, just to name a few. If i didn't know any better, he clearly was a Barack supporter, he threw out countless jabs on the Bush regime. (Vote or Die, BARACK 08) Because I didn't catch the name of the opening act, we'll refer to him as ????. Yea, it was that bad. I was anticipating the phenominal Celine Dion, so his 30 minutes of fame ran its course. Exit stage left! Granted we had to wait 30 mins for the main event to begin, and folks, they seemed like an eternity, but they were WELL WORTH IT.
House lights OUT. I was like a kid in a candy store. It's just something about the main event that gets my blood to flowing. FLASHING LIGHTS, props goes to the production crew! Every screen served its purpose. Backdrops of photoshoots, chronological events leading up to THIS event, you name it, she had it. Baboom, Baboom, Baboom goes my heart as I anxiously await Celine to come on stage.
BOOM! She's here, in a beautiful fuschia dress, commanding everyones attention. She performed a multitude of hits streaming from All By Myself, I'm Your Lady, Because You Loved Me, The Prayer, Man's World (James Brown), just to name a few. In between wardrobe changes, her backup singers & dancers each had their own set to keep the over anxious crowd entertained.
She performed for a solid two hours. Hit after hit. She was full of energy & she fed off of our energy, making her performance one to remember. She ended the show with the tear jerker My Heart Will Go On, laced in a black free flowing dress, the set was real intimate with exceprts from the motion picture Titanic playing in the backdrop. This song gets me every time! I held back the tears, because she sang it with so much emotion. What a way to end the night.
Celine has proven she's at the top of her career. The night was simply magical & worth every dollar spent. She's an icon, and she's simply fabolous. If I had to do it all over again, you already know the answer would be a YES!
MTV Video Music Awards '08 Recap
The VMA's: one of the most acclaimed events of the music industry. Celebs, stunts, performances... what else could you wish for? Here's a re-cap of the night from your dynamic Sound-Savvy duo, these are our thoughts as we watched the night unfold...
Mack: okay so Britneys not performing
Mello: she's doin something
Mack: yeah, but not performing… so I'm happy
Mello: LOL… she @ least looks good
Mack: I agree
Mello: Rihanna!
Mack: YES!!! My boy and I were just sayin they should have her open
Mello: she's fucking awesome… that opening is scary tho
Mack: I love her scary ass
Mello: I do too but this performance is scary
Mack: I love it.... its so THRILLER. Her vocals needed some work but she looked amazing as always... and it was very creative. This is the 25th anniversary of the VMA's and of Thriller, so it was fitting
Mello: who the hell is the host?
Mack: wait... wait a damn minute… does Weezy have his lip pierced?
Mello: yea
Mack: this host dude is a freakin nobody...
Mello: lol
Mack: okay... now I like him. That Obama comment just made me like the host guy
Mello: lol
Mack: but Mel… WHY ARE HIS PANTS SO DAMN TIGHT?!?!
Mello: LOL… that's the UK way
Mack: he's making MY legs uncomfortable
Mello: LOL… Jamie Foxx is ignorant
Mack: I concur… im diggin that shirt tho... i'd rock that
Mack: WOW!!! Did he just call T.I. out... LOL
Mello: yup
Mack: i didn't think CB's video for With You was all that great, but i guess up against that competition...
Mello: yea, I didn't like that vid…didn't really feel the song too much, I thought Weezy was going 2 win
Mack: so did I… especially since Static Major died
Mack: sidebar: why does John Legend look so greasy?
Mack: I'm tired of this Jonas Brothers performance already… why can't I fast forward....
Mello: who u telling, this shit is boring!
Mack: they should have did "When You Look Me In The Eyes"… I like that song at least
Mello: this is a mess
Mack: oh wow... they added a thousand screaming teenybopper girls... and a failed attempt at crowd-surfing
Mello: they replace Hanson
Mack: Katy Perry is gonna make me buy her album...
Mello: yea me 2
Mack: this host is not holding his comments back at all
Mack: Leona Lewis??? With Lil Wayne?? interesting...
Mello: yea, all I could say is wow
Mack: T-Pain and that leather outfit
Mello: a mess
Mack: how many backstage showers does his ass have to take? I know he sweatin like hell
Mello: I want them 2 perform the new song
Mack: ugh, i wanted Kaba Modern to win
Mack: that PCD song is growing on me… I kinda like it…wait, there's a black girl in the Pussycat Dolls?
Mello: I think Bow Wow dates or dated the blk chic
Mack: he's so lame... got his ass handed to him by The Game in Madden 09
Mello: I kno
Mello: Is that an engagement ring? on dawns hand
Mack: hmmm... not sure but Dawn looks great
Mello: lol
Mack: D. Woods is he best lookin one in Danity Kane tho
Mack: wow Miley's dress looks nice
Mello: I liked Pink when her hair was pink
Mack: PINK!!!
Mello: she’s sooo rocker now
Mack: okay, this performance rocks!
Mello: she's pretty
Mack: it'd be great to see Lupe win the award, but I don't wanna see Kanye throw a fit
Mello: right
Mack: whats with Weezy and the skinny jeans? that is NOT pimpin
Mack: I like this new T.I. joint with Rihanna! she's such a rockstar… and T.I. is one of the best out right now
Mello: she was holding that jacket cuz she was topless… she had nothing on under it
Mack: I noticed that!
Mello: she must not have much of a chest… cuz nobody else would be able 2 pull that off
Mack: or she had some really good double sided tape
Mack: yes!!! Christina!!
Mello: Christina looks good
Mack: yeah she does... im feelin her set even though she’s lip syncin. She looks great!!! This is the performance Britney needed last year
Mello: yea… and im feelin this song
Mack: we ain't seen her dance like this in a long time...
Mello: she was probably lippin cuz of all the dancing
Mack: Weezy with Kid Rock…that was a nice collabo… but he needs to lose the skinny jeans
Mello: true
Mack: what is Kanye doing?
Mello: garbage
Mack: I second that…he looks....kinda.... uh... nappy
Mello: I could've watched weezy perform again
Mack: MTV is on a mission to resuscitate Britney's career
Mello: clearly… she's won everything
Mello: overall, what did u think of the awards?
Mack: highly predictable for the most part
Mack: I didn't see any big surprises
Mello: ur right
The Music is Still in Mint Condition
Artist: Mint Condition
Song: Nothin' Left To Say
Album: E-Life
Song: Nothin' Left To Say
Album: E-Life
It's been 17 years since the band delivered their most widely recognized hit, Pretty Brown Eyes, from their debut album. Now their back with album number 7, E-Life and they sound just as good now as they did back then. Nothin Left To Say is classic Mint Condition, and it revives the sound and soul that made them the band of choice in the 90's. Haven't heard the album yet, but my Sound-Savvy fam will be the first to know. Shouts to my man Posey for puttin me on to this track! Let me know how u feelin this one...
-Mack-
Karina: The 90's Baby
"I'm a 90's girl, all about the corner store and the double dutchin on the block, I'll show what I'm about..."
Artist: Karina Pasian
Artist: Karina PasianAlbum: First Love
Release Date: 8.19.08
WOW… that’s all I could say when I listened to this album. Most 17 year old girls these days are engulfed in the battles of everyday teenage life – boys, college acceptances, boys, graduating high school, boys, and either trying to please the parents or be the parents. Oh yeah, and boys. For Karina Pasian, life has been quite a bit different. In her teen years, Karina has won Star Search, sang in front of the president, performed for Quincy Jones in Rome, and was the unsigned hype in a bidding war between 3 major US record labels. And here’s why: she’s a piano master, fully bi-lingual and she can sing her ass off – IN 7 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES! Her debut album, First Love, is nothing short of amazing, with production backing from Tricky and the Dream, Gordon Chambers, and Ne-yo to name a few. First Love is a classic album that launches Karina as a formidable force on the music scene, and with her incredible talent, she’ll become a household name very quickly. I’d say she’s a good mix between Aaliyah, Tamia, and Alicia Keys, a composition that makes her voice totally unique, and her CD: a masterpiece.Release Date: 8.19.08
Listening to this joint, I’ve adopted quite a few favorites beginning with 90’s Baby, which kick starts the album in a poppy display of youthfulness. But it’s actually the lead single, 16 @ War, which shows her maturity. Lyrically, this joint hits hard as an anthem for today’s teenage females while Karina steps up to be the voice of her generation: “Ain't no daddy's where I'm from, it's just mad mothers and eyes that still seem they can't look past color. Why am I disrespected by someone I should call brother?” Bob your head on the second single, Can’t Find The Words, which invokes a bit of Tribe’s Bonita Applebaum for a familiar feel to accompany Karina’s silky smooth vocal delivery. Other highlights on the album include The Love We Got and the title track, First Love – which is a dedication to the craft that she began at age 3. Resilience is the theme on Can’t Bring Me Down, while true love prevails on Winner. My favorite track is the poetic ballad Slow Motion. The lyrics here are very sincere, and her vocal delivery drives the song right into the heart over a soft piano-led melody. It’s all about taking love slowly and taking your time: “So much about this crazy game they call love that I'm trying to understand, so could you be my best friend, before you call yourself my man?” I just love the emotion in her voice; it brings out the tenderness in the lyrics and makes the song a certified classic.
Overall, First Love is an album that just comes together beautifully. Karina’s vocal delivery is strong but not overbearing, light but not faint, involved but not overdoing it. The producers here worked well with her and contributed tracks that allowed her vocals to soar and shine. You’ll notice that on most of the tracks, you can hear her raw natural voice, without the misleading augmentation used by a lot of today’s R&B and pop acts. There really isn’t a bad song on the album at all, and although she’s young, her content isn’t childish; she can speak across generational gaps. I highly recommend this CD. Trust me, you WILL keep it in rotation.
-Mack-
New Kids OFF the Block
-Mello-
A SWAGGER like No OTHER...
In the middle of a shopping center in College Park, MD, Paul “Young Swagger” Baker spits more bars than “a million pair of Adidas” -the same amount Canibus proclaimed to have spit in 1998. The Washington, D.C. native raps and uses his body language long enough to spark excitement, smirks and serious head-nods from a crowd of hip-hop lovers and The Famous Firm C.E.O. and past director of A&R at Atlantic Records, Sickamore.
After the job is done, Sickamore smiles and says with confirmation, “I never heard somebody go that hard.” After years and years of practice, a craft that seems so simple to display, has only come easy after hard work and dedication. Short days and long nights were dedicated to his love for music and semblance of Tupac Shakur, Shawn Carter and Christopher Wallace would become staples of what to look for in an emcee. After studying their sound, deliveries and rhyme schemes, Young Swagger created the perfect formula for becoming the world’s greatest emcee. He would use drugs called, “conviction” and “truth,” to grab the attention of hip- hop addicts and create a base that would boil into hardcore, honest music. His product would speak for itself. It would sell and create a buzz.
At 21-years-old, Swagger’s story is similar to a lot of faces on CNN’s Special “Black in America”; he grew up in the inner-city, has only memories of his biological father to make reference to and a had a dream to play in the NBA. It's noteworthy that Swagg's stepfather however, was there along the way to guide him. When reality set in, the emcee from a place known for Go-go music and popular rappers like Wale and Tabi Bonney, Swagger would use his drug as a mental escape from his poverty-stricken environment. As a financial get-a-way, his single parent mother was not aware of her son’s illegal hustle, but her distraction was her son’s commitment to education. At 14-years-old in high school, new shoes and materialistic possessions became reason to sell illegal substances.
From the distribution of illegal drugs into his complete transition to musical treatments, his optimistic perspectives and knowledge of opportunity lead him to Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama. He would later admit that music would give him this “all time high” and a line from Jay-Z’s 2003 song “Allure” would be a verbal depiction of what he would come to know. And I can’t explain why, I just love to get high/ drink life, smoke the blueberry sky, blink twice. With those lyrics and his memories of Tupac’s “Ambitionz as a Ridah,” the hard- spitting emcee would make the Presidential Honor Roll, but decided to leave school and chase his dream of making a full-time commitment to music.
These experiences would lead him to his affiliation with The Famous Firm and a life altering testimonial from Sickamore, in which the 23-year-old ex-DJ would call Swagger “The best free-styler that he’s ever seen in person” and that would give Paul Baker the ambition to follow his dreams. “That’s where my music comes from. The things that I’ve seen, things that I’ve been involved in, things I’ve witnessed and different experiences,” says Swagger. “It wasn’t all rough, I love where I’ve come from. It’s a horrible, beautiful place.” South East Washington D.C. never looked so beautiful.
Despite his moniker, there's nothing young about him. I've had the opportunity to witness his lyrical genius, & I must say, I'm rather impressed. Folks definitely be on the lookout for this dude, he's hungry & he's taking no prisoners. Respect his hustle, respect his grind to the top, because he's definitely going to make it!
-Mello-
The Consummate Performer
So we're 2 days away from the MTV Video Music Awards 2008, one of the industry's biggest events and one of more bearable award shows. But nowadays, people don't tune in to awards shows for the honorees as much as they watch to see who's performing. Unfortunately for most viewers, Britney Spears is being yet another chance to open the show this year. I really hope (for the sake of her kids who will someday watch this and truly know what it looks like to be stoned) she decides to leave her drugs at home. But what I'm hoping for even more this year is an appearance by one of the greatest performers to ever hit the VMA stage. Don't act like you don't know who I'm talkin about... With her world tour getting underway in less than a week (got your tickets yet?), now would be the perfect time for an over-the top Janet performance at this year's VMA's. In honor of my wishful thinking, here's a clip of my all-time favorite VMA performance by Miss Jackson, from 2000. It's also my favorite Janet song, so sit back and watch the consummate performer show you how it's done...
-Mack-
Ciara: The 'Go Girl'
Go Girl (Main) - Ciara Ft T-Pain
Here's the official first single from Ciara's upcoming third album, Fantasy Ride. The "energizer Playboy Bunny" teams up with T-Pain who spits a nice few bars on the track. Go Girl is a nice laidback midtempo joint to reintroduce Ciara after her short hiatus from the music scene. Nothing amazing on the vocals, but it's still a fairly decent song, and an anthem for her teenybopper following. I'm hoping for some more mature content on her new album, which is due out in December of '08.
-Mack-
