man. i'm speechless. there's just a song sense of pride that i feel right now. and i just feel that because he can, i can. because i can, you can. because you can, WE CAN! whew!
Kodie's spent a few weeks in Memphis with my family this summer and i'm SO glad to have my buddy back. I mean, he's really a best friend. he listens while you talk and has pretty much a consistent temperament! [something that is majorly lacking in a "human friend"] lol. He had a great time @ home, though. Running around that huge place while my mom, dad, and kameron chase him. lol... now he has to run, by himself, while i just sit and look @ him. hahaha. he misses YOU ALL, fam! and THANKS for taking care of him! :-)
DAMMIT!!! I DIDNT KNOW IT WAS COMING ON SO EARLY!!!! AHHHHH!!!!!!! Thank goodness for YouTube. Here's the performance:
Sing Jennifer!!!!!! but what the HELL was her "pianist" doing at the beginning?!?!??! GOODNESS!!!!! Anyways, this was great, INTERNATIONAL, exposure for her. I tip my hat to you, darling. Congrats. :)
So folks, I wanna tell you about a good buddy of mine, ANDREW McCREARY, out of Long Island, NY!! This guy was born to sing, man. Drew is currently living in New York City doing it really big on the musical scene. He recently put together an artist showcase in his hometown of Long Island that featured some up and coming artists in the area, and he has also been gaining a buzz by performing around the city at different events and concerts. Just from hearing this, you could tell that he'd fit right in with today's crew of popular artists. give him a hot beat, and steppin groove, and you've got yourself a winner! I'm proud of my guy, tho! YEAH! LoL... anyways, here's a clip of him singing "Never" by Mario. YEAH MAN!! AHHHHH!!!!!!
...and if you wanna know more about DREW and see more performances, visit his MySpace page by clicking HERE!
So I was browsing over at my buddy Michael's DLiSTED blog and ran across this feature of Solange. HAHAHHA
When the interview went live, Solange got lippy with the anchor. Basement Baby said, "I have to say that was not a very professional introduction before. Please don't tie me into family and my brother-in-law's establishment." The anchor had no idea what she was talking about. That's when a mysterious voice said to her, "That wasn't live, Solange."
Help us. The "basement baby" better be glad she's even getting interviews. smh. whatever, though. HELP US!!!! But, THANKS for confirming the MARRIAGE!!! :-D
sigh. a birthday weekend @ home. euphoria. well as few may know, i decided to take my birthday back to where it all began, Memphis!!! :-) it was wonderful. FAMILY. friends. food. and CHURCH! who could ask for more? thanks to all that wished me a happy b-day. it's 24K, baby. Anticipate sum "golden" moments this year! [Missed you, SKOOTER!]
Wow... I can't believe that she's been gone this long. I was at work when it hit me that she was only 22 when she passed. 22!!!! I thank God for life, man. I just turned 24 and to know she was that young, just hit me...hard. It just goes to show that you're here one minute, gone the next. What are YOU doing with YOUR life?!?!??! sigh. Anyways, she was bomb. Love her. Here's one of my fav video's of the queen:
So, Brandy's HUMAN CD isn't released until November, but that isn't stopping fans from seeking after her latest cuts. I'm not sure if these will actually be on the album, but they're very good. My fav, though, is her song "First and Love". sigh.
Oh, say can you see Jennifer Hudson in Colorado? The Oscar winner has been tapped to sing the national anthem Thursday, the night Barack Obama is set to address the increasingly star-studded Democratic National Convention for the first time as his party's official candidate for president of the United States. Meaning, no more of that "presumptive nominee" stuff. "She's thrilled and excited. It's a tremendous honor," said a rep for Hudson, who told E! Online's Marc Malkin in June that she'd love to stump for Obama. "I'm so proud and excited for him. I haven't gotten a call from them yet, but he does have my support." The convention, currently underway in Denver, is the destination du jour this week for, among others, big-time Obama supporters such as Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Kanye West, Spike Lee, Susan Sarandon and Annette Bening. Bruce Springsteen will be on tap to close out the festivities Thursday night.
OH SNAPS!!!!! This is an amazing honor for Jennifer. Not just because she's singing the National Anthem, but because she's a part of HISTORY! :-) I'm definitely excited about this. WHEW HOO!!!
Just for the heck of it, here is Jennifer Holliday singing at the DNC many moons ago. sing bitch. the action starts at the 3:09 mark. "The TRUUUTH EEEESS MARCHEEEYIN OOOON!"
Beyonce, Rihanna, Fergie and Mary J. Blige are among the artists singing on a forthcoming single to benefit cancer research. Also singing on the star-studded track are Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood. The song will be released on September 2 via US iTunes. All proceeds from sales of the single will go toward Stand Up To Cancer, an initiative of the Entertainment Industry Foundation that calls on the entertainment industry to help fight cancer, reports the Associated Press. The singers will also participate in the Stand Up To Cancer benefit show, which is set to air simultaenously on three US television networks -- ABC, NBC and CBS -- September 5.
This is a very nice song with a wonderful meaning. I'm glad that they came together for this cause considering so many people around me are having to deal with cancer to hit their families. This is just a song that encourages anyone who's going through it. I respect and appreciate this. What's really up is that Beyonce and Rihanna actually sound really good singing together. Their voices just, MATCH! and when this bitch Mariah just starts "whistle singing" at the end, it's pretty much amazing. :-)
I had to steal this from my buddy George's page. Get this, they're singing "The Brady Bunch" theme song! [This is for you Dave, Amanda, Skooter, and Kameron]
sigh. i mean. what can i say? i mean, really?? i was randomly on YouTube, aka The Devil, and i came across this performance by Beyonce performing Deja Vu at the Armani RED Event that i hadn't seen before.
My highlights are: 1:46-1:52 [when she calls out the dead crowd, smiles, keeps it moving, and works. period]. 2:22 [slow motion for me, baby], 2:34 & 2:37 [self explanatory], and 3:16 [YES!]... sigh.
If they aren't new to you, I dont care. They're new to me. :-) Anyways, I wanted to feature two young, talented, and driven musicians that are doing what ever it takes to get their music heard. Hey, its working.
KID SISTER, also known as Melisa Young, is a rap artist based in Chicago, Illinois and bursting onto the scene with her whacky, in a good/ghetto way, with "Pro Nails" [a duet with Kanye West]. I first heard the song when I was at Joy's house and we were watching the "Fav Five" videos, [I NEVER manage to catch "Spotlight", though... sigh], and these fake nails started appearing all over the T.V. screen. Initially i said, "WHAT IS THIS MESS, JOY?!?!" LoL... She didnt know either, so we continued to watch. I'm glad we did because when the beat dropped in, all i could say was..... YES! hahaha. You can check her video for "Pro Nails" here:
SKEWBY D! Born and raised in the good ole hometown of Memphis, this guy has been on the grind, making a name and a way for himself since he first started to tap into the music gig. I just got a message from him with his new song, "No Handlebars", which is a fresh and fun track that I'm sure you can jam to. I can always respect a hustle. Do your thing, man!
The internet is abuzz about a possible reunion between the debatable, BIGGEST SELLING GIRL GROUP OF ALL TIME, [Although I thought TLC still held that record] DESTINY'S CHILD!!!!!! :-D :-D :-D :-D YAY!!!... :-/ .... Irregardless, i can't help but to rationalize the fact that the two people doin all the talkin are the two who's careers seemed to have stayed in the fish bowl ::cough:: kelly:: cough, cough:: michelle:: cough:: anynoodle, I'm all for a DC3 reunion... Hey, they may even pull a Dreamgirls move and bring the original members back. "There aren't just three Destiny's Children, their are FIVE! no wait, damn... SIX!" [I forgot about Farrah Franklin] smh..
Rowland said: "I miss the girls, I miss being on stage with them."
She added that she respects the other members of her group and enjoys working with all of them.
"It's a blessing when we work together. We're so looking forward to working with each other again and we just need to find a time in our diaries when we can get into the studio together,"
Bottom line, Beyonce ain't having it.
This is something you may have not seen before; this is a tribute performance, to the girls, by Babyface and Usher given at the World Music Awards a few years back. They managed to do a cover of "Cater 2 U" [one of my favorite jammers]. They F*CKED IT UP! sigh. But atleast they tried. Whats up with that look Beyonce gave Usher at the 2:51 mark? That gaze was a little intense. LoL... Yeah, i know...I have a serious problem. ;-)
UPDATE: So, I got some clarification to the "Girl Group" show down. According to the numbers, Destiny's Child IS the #1 selling female group of all time! Wow! By a LONG SHOT, at THAT! Take a look at this chart: Interesting.
Beyonce, Rihanna, Fergie and Mary J. Blige are among the artists singing on a forthcoming single to benefit cancer research. Also singing on the star-studded track are Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood. The song will be released on September 2 via US iTunes. All proceeds from sales of the single will go toward Stand Up To Cancer, an initiative of the Entertainment Industry Foundation that calls on the entertainment industry to help fight cancer, reports the Associated Press. The singers will also participate in the Stand Up To Cancer benefit show, which is set to air simultaenously on three US television networks -- ABC, NBC and CBS -- September 5.
Should be interesting. It's always good to see celebs contributing to a worthy cause. Good look.
Sigh. So...I've basically been read by Usher's "What's A Man To Do" because, DAMMIT, I CAN RELATE! I mean...
"I'd be a liar if I told you That I didn't see it coming Be more of a liar if I said Hey I didn't want it to be something You deserve much better"
...that's it, man... like, Usher KILLED the lyrics to this song. He always manages to tell a story with his music, but this one just hit home for me. I'm a lyricist, so I always pay attention to what a song is "talking" about. It's basically speaking on how you are dealing with a person who is already in a relationship, yet they keep telling you that they care for you so much and how they wish they could tell you that... sigh... hell, just read this:
"I wanna tell you it's over That I ain't thinking of her I wanna really mean it That I want you to see it That I'm really trying to leave her behind And I'm trying not to make you cry I wanna tell you that I ain't playing games and I'm dedicated to receive a change But when I look in the mirror It's the same old me"
I don't know why I even put myself through certain situations. But like my good friend/co-worker told me, "Life is nothing but trial and error." smh [shaking my head]. Here's the link to listen, below:
Take a listen to this new track from Joe featuring my guy, Mario. The track, Last Sip, was produced by Bryan-Michael Cox, and it's the typical "B. Cox" production, mid-tempo jammer. It's nothing really spectacular, but it's a cool jam.
Check out the trailer for THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES which stars Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, and Dakota Fanning. The Secret Life of Bees is a 2002 bestselling novel by American author Sue Monk Kidd. It has received much critical acclaim and became a New York Times bestseller. The movie is being released in limited theaters on October 17.
SYNOPSIS: Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens [Dakota Fanning], whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen [Jennifer Hudson], insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina - a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters [Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo], Lily is introuced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna.
I AM DRIVING UP 85 IN THE KIND OF MORNING THAT LASTS ALL AFTERNOON. I'M JUST STUCK INSIDE THE GLOOM. FOUR MORE EXITS TO MY APARTMENT, BUT I AM TEMPTED TO KEEP THE CAR IN DRIVE AND LEAVE THIS SHIT BEHIND. CUZ I WONDER SOMETIMES ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF A STILL VERDICTLESS LIFE, AM I LIVING IT RIGHT? WHY GEORGIA, WHY?
I wanted to feature one of my favorite artists, singers, people in the world. JOHN MAYER... I was always a fan of his music but it was always difficult for me to listen to it because his songs always took me to another place, figuratively. His music, really, takes you out of your current situation and transfers you to the place inside of your imagination. It's hard to actually focus on anything else when his song is on. The first time i got hooked on him was my freshman year @ Morehouse and my brother Kenneth, a friend of his, and I were driving onto I-85 on a cool evening, windows down, and not a care in the world. This song, "Why Georgia" comes on and I was transfixed. It was some sort of immediate maturation. So, i'm feeling like that today. Getting ready to go to work, had a phone convo with a friend of mine...and basically, i'm really just ready to keep the car in drive and leave this all behind.
I attached a few of my favorite songs of his, but if i posted all that i liked, i'd have to post all the albums. and that just wouldn't be right, now would it? :) Anyway, take a listen for yourself and tell me what you think.
Check out this clip of my WorldWideWoman Beyonce doin sum ad libin' @ a jam session in Houston, Texas. Master musicians Chris Dave, Robert Glasper, and Stokley Williams [from Mint Condition], are all on stage when Stokley calls for my girl to come up and show 'em what she got. Sing with me with that beautiful voice that i hear over the airwaves every day and NIGHT! HA! GET 'EM, B!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!! [LOVE HER!] --the action starts at the 1:25 mark--
KILLED IT!!!!! From the 3:00-3:31 mark, BOTH of my hands were straight UP IN THE AIR!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!
1. God Given Name 2. T.O.N.Y. 3. Dancing In The Dark 4. Would've Been The One 5. Sandcastle Disco 6. I Decided 7. 6 O'Clock Blues 8. Valentine's Day 9. Ode To Marvin 10. I Told You So 11. Cosmic Journey [feat. Bilal] 12. This Bird 13. I Decided, Pt. 2 (Freemasons Remix) 14. ChampagneChroniKnightCap
I don't even watch 106 & Park anymore, to be honest. Ever since the corniness that is Rocsi and Terrance appeared, i really can't take them seriously. However, they have managed to put together a host of hot artists for their "BiRTHDAY BASH"! There will be performances by T.I., Keyshia Cole, Yung Berg, Jennifer Hudson, LL Cool J, and more. It airs WEDNESDAY at 6! :-D
"Kort! I'm pregnant!!!!!" - This is what i've been getting a LOT lately. I guess it's not so bad considering we aren't the kids that we used to be. sigh. i tell you about love. find love, and it knocks you up! LoL. I'm very excited for two of my friends that will be delivering in the coming weeks. Jamesa Davis and Paula Harding. Jamesa's having a BOY. and his name?!
Adrian Buchanan. I wanted to name him after his grandmother.
And on being preggers:
I love the perks of being pregnant. People waiting on you, and being able to get away with murder! LoL!
Jamesa is due on September 4th in Atlanta. Keep her in your prayers please! :-D
Paula and Pat are having their first kiddo, too. Peydan Jeanise Bounds will be stomping onto the world on September 25 in my hometown of Memphis.
According to Dawn of Danity Kane, she announced that the Danity Kane comic is due out in September and that the website will be danitykanecomics.com. The registrant of the domain is shown as "our dawn publishing", which is the company name that part of Dawn's publishing rights are under. Dawn described the comic as ""Sex in the City" Meets "Sin City.""
Hmmm... I'm not sure what this is all about? A comic BOOK, a carTOON?! I dont understand... Whatever though. I like them, so it's all good. Here are the ladies featured in GQ magazine. [This is only their second feature in a magazine, period. smh.]
I have never heard of ETRO until my father sent me this e-mail with some guys looking FRESHTADEATH in these beautifully bright colors and out-of-the-box designs. When i saw them, i immediately thought, "Damn. The Joker's gone FRESH!" Any who, according to one of my favorite resources, Wiki,
Etro is an Italian fashion house and manufacturer of fabrics, furnishings and fragrances. It was founded in 1968 by Gimmo Etro. It is still a family business, with menswear headed since 1990 by Kean Etro, while his sister, Veronica, directs womenswear. Gimmo's eldest son, Jacobo, is in charge of the textile division, and brother Ippoliti handles the company finances from its headquarters in Milan.
This clip is from maybe three years ago, but they def stayed true to form with the originality. Take a look. For more on ETRO, visit your fine retail stores [if you're in the A, try Neiman's], or if you're on a budget, look at there pics on ETRO'S WEBSiTE!:-D I WANT THE GREEN SWEATER!!! HOOK IT UP!!!
1* J. Hud - ALL DRESSED UP iN LOVE - This is a song that is featured on the Sex and the City: Soundtrack and will also be on Jennifer's upcoming album. It's just a feel good song that you can listen to while you're riding in the car thinking about the LOVE in your life. This particular track was produced by Cee-Lo and MC Jack Splash of Plantlife. [who the heck?] anyways, enjoy.
2* Brandy - FALL - Fall is a track that will be on her upcoming CD, Human. simply beautiful. her voice is just like butter to me, man. i can tell that she's grown as an artist, and as a human being, just by her lyrics and vocal delivery. brandy RARELY sings this high and forceful, but it works, amazingly!!! just fall. don't be afraid. [enough said].
3* Dawn [from Danity Kane] - STROBE LiGHT - I honestly don't know where this song came from, but i do know that it's a sexy piece. maybe she recorded this during some down time with Danity Kane, [when they should have been making a video for "Ecstacy"... hell, or even "Sucka 4 Luv".] Anyways, i'm assuming Dawn wrote the song, given that she's penned sum songs for her group. I dont know. It's a banger though, just turn the lights DOWN, me ON..and play this song. LoL... [kidding ;-D ]
4* Claudette Ortiz - Message To You - I first heard this song back when i was in memphis a year or two ago. when i heard it, i collapsed. i really wish she would have done something with herself because for 1) she's beautiful 2) she would be runner up to BEYONCE 3) she can sing her ASS OFF!!! Don't believe me, ha... just listen.
:-) Enjoying a night with two of my best female companions Joy and Val... As i mentioned earlier, Valencia is here for an acting workshop, and she decided to come meet Joy, Joy's cousin, and I for a nice drink and meal, in downtown Atlanta. Rarely having a day off, i wanted to relax but share my time with my best[s]. and enjoy, did we do! but it wasn't until afterwards, as i was in the car -alone- windows down, top back- that i decided to play one of my favorite jams, "Diggin' On You" performed by the BEST SELLING female group of ALL TIME, TLC. :-) I love it so much because as i was driving down 17th Street onto Spring, i felt a cool breeze and a peaceful wind come across me. I guess it's because the live horns, on the remix, reminds me of my brothers Skooter and Kameron. Shoot, we'd be a killin instrumental trio.. Skooter on sax, Kam on the bone [trombone], and me on the TRUMPET! :-D It's just a feel good song, and it works cuz at the moment, i'm feeling mighty good, too. Listen to this, maybe you can feel what i feel:
This is by far my FAVORITE show that was on, and is on, television. i'm not easily amused when it comes to comedy via the T.V.; only a few shows have come on that made me actually laugh. along with Martin & The Fresh Prince, The Golden Girls seal the deal. Period. End of discussion. if u never watched, just sit down for thirty minutes, put ur TV on lifetime, and enjoy the inevitable smile that will sweep across your face. :-D
Below is a clip of my dearest Sophia Petrillo, my golden girl:
look is this foolishness. this is brother #3, Kameron, doing sum retard of a dance. help us. [he has on the yellow polo vest]. there's also an introduction by Esther Rolle, from Good Times.
This is the poster & trailer for the new movie WINGED CREATURES which stars my girl, Academy Award winner, Jennifer Hudson. She plays Kathy Archenault, the daughter of Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker, who plays Charlie Archenault.
SYNOPSIS: When a moment of random violence erupts in an ordinary Los Angeles diner the survivors (Kate Beckinsale, Dakota Fanning, Guy Pearce, Forest Whitaker, Josh Hutcherson) find that the meanings of their lives have changed. No matter how much their families and friends (JENNIFER HUDSON, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Embeth Davidtz) attempt to understand, these individuals must follow their own paths to recovery seeking to regain trust in a world that now seems chaotic. A story of tragedy and hope for our times, Winged Creatures, is a powerful ensemble drama that explores the notion that our lives are fleeting, like birds in flight, like winged creatures.
So yeah, this movie seems to be a lot like Crash, so in the same sentence, i can see a lot of potential Oscar buzz surrounding this film. This, despite belief, was Jennifer's FIRST post-Oscar role. I'm glad she was smart to pick this type of dramatic film because I think she needed to show people that she can, in fact, act. We shall see cuz this little clip doesn't say much. It doesn't have an official release date, yet, but when it does you KNOW imma hook it up! :-D
When i first heard this song, my automatic response was "YEEEEEEEEEEES!" LoL.... i'm sure u can all hear me saying that. Anyways, this is a brand new track from Michelle Williams' pushed-back album, Unexpected, called "Lucky Girl". Now let me just give you the heads up, if her producers would have made an ENTIRE song out of this Interlude, i would have collapsed. Immediately. but... they didn't. I mean, the other three minutes of my life weren't wasted. Just make sure ure checking ur facebook while u listen to the latter. Now, back to the good part, it just screams SEXINESS!!! WHEW!!! i mean, the harmonies, the thumping bass line, it dont even sound like her. [which maybe helps]. Enough of my talking, listen to it and let me know what u think. Remember: the FIRST sixty seconds!!!! LoL...
Here are two remixes of Jennifer Hudson's "Spotlight". The first one is my personal favorite remix because it features Rick Ross. He bumps. Period. The second is with Young Jeezy... mess. Regardless, I do think that the rap, whether it was Jeezy or Ross, added sum much needed flavor to the song. Gotta love the J Hud tho. :-)
wow... its been over a year and i finally am able to post a couple of songs from my senior recital that took place on April 27, 2007. I wanted to attach these two songs because they were two of my favorites from that night. :-) this is for you, guys!!! and to Dr. Oliver & Dr. Brown, THANK YOU!!!! SENCE YOU WENT AWAY i CONCENTRATE ON YOU
All things LOVE, baby!
So yeah, this isn't a blog to be taken seriously, really. Its just kinda of like my "public diary" to my family and friends. You're gonna see a lot of J. Hud & Beyonce, but that's just me. :-D hey, you gotta LOVE me!!!
Rain
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You ever hear someone complaining about the rain? They think of it as an
inconvenience but I think of it as a blessing. Rain isn’t negative to
nature, it...
Best of 2011: A Year in Music
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*1. ADELE 21*
*Adele* brought a solid album with her debut *19*. No one could have
imagined her topping that. She did that, and more. Born out of heartbr...
