The Perfect Marriage

I've tried to tell everyone I know about this perfect marriage, but just in case I didn't tell you, here's the low down. The perfect marriage has taken place and it's between one of the best rappers and an amazing English alternative rock band. This may seem crazy, but don't judge it until you listen to it. If you can't tell who these pictures are of or can't assume whom I'm talking about, it's Radiohead and Jay-Z. Together they make Jaydiohead. Click here and you can download/listen to it. 

The combo is of Jay-Z's songs with Radiohead's beats. Some of my friends have said that they don't like it because the Radiohead beats are too slow for Jay-Z's lyrics, but you definitely have to go into it with an open mind. I think it's interesting and great that you can mash up rap and alternative together so flawlessly. 

My favorite tracks are probably Change Order and Lucifer's Jigsaw. 

As you can see they also combine the name of the songs together so you know which songs they originate from. The other tracks are:

-Wrong Prayer

-99 Anthems

-No Karma

-Optimistic Moment

-Dirt Off Your Android

-Dreaming Up

-Fall In Step

-Ignorant Swan

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 

Set the Mood

In the words of Justin Timberlake, "Let me set the mood right, oooh ooh. Cause I'm gonna make you feel alright.Oooh ooooh" You may think I'm going to write about setting the mood for some baby making, but this is not that case. 

I'm talking about how which music is being played can drastically change my mood. Have you ever been to a party and your having a great time and then some horrible song comes on and you just can't function because of it? Definitely happens all the time when you're at frat parties. Last night I was at a bowling alley and they were playing some throwbacks like cyndi lauper, michael jackson, and those unknown bands but their songs rock. It made me soooo happy. 

What I'm trying to say is that music usually is able to set me in the right kind of mood. If it's rainy, like it is right now in good ole Cuse,  I listen to some John Legend, Joss Stone, or stuff that I can just sing along with or relax to. If I'm about to go out, I listen to lively stuff like mondotek or rap. When I'm pissed I listen to everything to try to get me happy again. When I'm heart broken, I listen to Kanye. 

Then there's those times when music can't even make me happy. That's just seems blasphemous since I love music so much, but sometimes things just suck balls.

So my request from you is to help me find that music to bring me out of those dark times..haha That sounds so dramatic but I want some enlightenment into what music helps people out of their lowly times.

Party Time!

Since it's officially the weekend for me, I thought I'd share a little playlist. I know when I'm getting ready for the night I need music. It either has to make me dance or get me to sing along. Ask my roommates and they'll tell you I do crazy shit when I get ready. I says it's because the music moves through me and my body can't help, but dance and sing.

Here goes in no particular order..I suggest shuffle if you actually take the time to make this into a playlist. ohh and you can click on the songs if you want to pull them up on youtube. One more thing.. there are a lot of throw backs and ridiculous songs so don't make fun. They get the blood a pumpin':

1. September- Earth, Wind, and Fire

2. Got to Give it Up, Part 1- Marvin Gaye

3. Alive- Mondoteck

4. I Can't Hear the Music-Brutha

5. Blame It- Jamie Foxx

6.Poison- Bel Biv Devoe

7. Diva-Beyonce

8. Circus- Britney

9. If I- Justin Timberlake

10. Flashing Lights-Kanye

11. Gifted- N.A.S.A.

12. She Got Her Own (Miss Independent Remix)- Ne-Yo

13. Let it Rock- Kevin Rudolph ft Lil Wayne

14. Lollipop- Lil Wayne

15. Call On Me- Eric Prydz

16. American Boy- Estelle and Kanye

I know that this is a long selection but sometimes ya gotta do your hair..haha 

Just kidding it doesn't take me that long, but here's a variety so you don't have to listen to the whole song. I know people have short attention spans like me.

Have a great night!

Where Has All the Female Talent Gone?

So I've come to the conclusion that there is a lack of good female artists these days. In the late 80s and 90s we had Whitney Houston, Celine Dion (wow can't believe I'm writing about her), Mariah Carey, and Christina (before she went through all her weird stages). Some may question these women, but lets face it they can sing their butts off. Now who do we have? I mean yes, there is Beyonce, but she got her start from being in a girl group. And there are a lot of people out there who do not like her (anyone see Chelsea Lately the other night?). Britney is a definite no. I mean she fully capitalizes on the use of Auto-tune for sure. Then you have the occasional song from Ciara where she can kinda sing, but then she doesn't really give me that girly vibe that the old ladies gave me. There's Keri Hilson who does surprise me at times. Her litte oooh and ahhs in turn me on do make me cringe and want to mute the song though, but all around she's ok. 

If you want to look in other genres there's Vanessa Hudgens and all those Disney girls. Which I don't even really want to get into because that can be a whole other post. All I have to say is, who writes a song about their sneakers and going out for the night? If you don't know what I'm talking about click here and you will understand the horror.

Sometimes I sit and listen to the radio and think to myself maybe I should become a singer. I'm not saying I have a great voice, but if Cassie, Britney, Miley Cyrus, etc can be successful why can't I? I can actually read music and can tell when I'm off key and fix it.Woah what a shocker right? 

Anyway...On the brighter side we do have Alicia Keys. Now there is a talented female. I have respect for anyone who can play the piano. Then you add her voice and range on top of that. woahhh! I'm a lifelong fan. I just wish she'd come out with something new or maybe collaborate with more people. There has to be tons of artists who want to.

The females that stick in my mind that are brand spanking new and good  are Adele, Emily King, and Janelle Monae. I don't even think a lot of people know who these women are. 

Adele is a Brit with an an amazing voice. It's sexy, guttural (i don't even know if that's the right word I was going for), and with a tint of accent. I'm pretty sure no American can duplicate it. If you haven't heard her click here or here for my favorite songs. 

Emily King is from New York. I don't know if she's all that new, but I only found her at the beginning of the school year. I love her because she has an old jazz flair, but with new upbeat feel to it. Close your eyes when you listen to her because her voice definitely doesn't match her look and I love that about her. I frequently belt out to her songs when I'm alone. She actually has collaborated with Lupe so you know she's going places. Listen to her right here.

Janelle Monae is a little different, but everyone needs a lil spice in their life. She is linked to OutKast if that tells you anything. She has this futuristic voice that is masculine at times, but then switches to a classic female voice. I don't think I've really ever heard any other female that sounds like her. My favorite songs are this and  Mr. President, but I can't find it on youtube. If you're interested let me know and I'll send it to you

Well there's my midnight rant. If you can show me more talented females I'm game. I want more songs that I can belt along with that are actually meant for women to sing.

The Battle for My Ear: Kid Cudi vs. Drake

WARNING: This is going to be a long post so get ready. I suggest getting a snack to semi-distract yourself.

So I've come to the realization that there has been an emergence of a lot of new players in the rap/ hip-hop scene and I thought I'd look into it. The two that stood out to me where Kid Cudi and Drake.

vs.

So I'll start with a little background of each of them so you can get a feel of what they're coming from and maybe it will help you with your decision of who you like better.

KID CUDI

His real name is Scott Mescudi...Kid Cudi is definitely a better name. Good choice on his part. He's 25, reigning from OHIO...woo midwest. He is signed to g.o.o.d music, so there's definitely an influence of Kanye. This is probably why I lean a lil more toward him. He was a part of Kanye's Welcome to Heartbreak, Paranoid, and Heartless.

DRAKE

His real name is even better....Aubrey Drake Graham. He's Canadian..wooo double whammy of misfortune. (Sorry, but ever since I was hit by a French Canadian semi-driver I don't like them) He is 22 and a former actor on Degrassi. I'm pretty sure one of his main influences is Lil'Wayne since Wayne is featured in several of his songs. This might be the reason why I don't lean toward him. 

So here's the scoop of their mixtapes. Brace yourself because this is where it's gonna get long and detailed. 

KID CUDI: A Kid Named Cudi (17 tracks)

1.Intro

2.Down & Out

- All I have to say on this one is that I like the beat.

3. Is There Any Love (ft. Wale)

-Definitely one of my favorites. The hook is really rememberable. And I love the "Can't stand evil bitches with their fendis" line...ooh how it reminds me of Syracuse girls.

4. CuDi Get

The little kid's voice is just hilarious.

5. Man On The Moon (The Anthem)

6. The Prayer

He's actually singing on this one and when that happens I'm always hooked. Also reminds me of when I was younger and always said my night prayers. But all around good song.

7.Day N Nite

My favorite song and probably the most known song of his. The lyrics are really good. I suggest reading them if you have the time. http://recycledlovesongs.com/indie-music/kid- cudi-day-n-nite-lyrics. Also check out the video. I know I've already said this before but it's pretty great.

8. Embrace the Martian 

9. Maui Wowie

Pretty great that this song is just about smoking Maui Wowie. And I gotta love the reference to John Legend's Get Lifted. He's even laughing in this song..c'mon.

10.50 Ways to Make A Record

Oooh his singing voice. Love his lil vibrato in there. And the subject of the song is good.

11.Whenever

The line "My heart beats faster when you open your thighs." WOoooow, that's all I have to say. Also the added symphony in the back is great. Him also sounding a lil like Busta when he says whenever is just great.

12. Pillow Talk

Now this song is more like speaking and it's pretty blunt. One of the lines that was just ridiculous to me was " smell good like new shoes." Now if he's a lover of new shoes..ok but shoes..really? I don't particularly want to be compared to the smell of shoes.

13. Save My Soul

I really like this one. It shows how people all of a sudden want to be in your life when you get successful or have a little light shown on you. Good line : "Everybody wanna stick on me like a leech."

14. T.G.I.F. (ft. chip the ripper)

15. Cudi Spazzin

Sample from N.E.R.D. never a bad thing to do.

16. Cleveland is the Reason

17. Heaven At Nite

About this whispering...hmmm Very chill so I like.

You can listen to this or download it at this link.

DRAKE:So Far Gone (17 tracks)

1.Lust for Life

2. Houstatlantavegas

One of my favs. Definitely think I'll always have a memory attached to it. His voice is just pure sex in this song. The singing is good and then the transition to rapping is flawless. I wouldn't mind if he was singing this to me. ..ha

3. Successful (ft. Trey Songz and Lil Wayne)

So the lil choir singing at the beginning...that's interesting. The hook of " i want the money..the cars..the clothes..the hoes I suppose.I just wanna be successful" is catchy. This song is full of catchy phrases...just like most of lil' wayne's songs. My other favorites are "This lost boy got fly without the peter pan" and  " shopping spree to get whatevers in store." Overall I like this one.

4. Lets Call it Off (ft. Peter Bjorn and John)

5. November 18th

Damn!!! That voice is a lil creepy. With lyrics like "pussy's only pussy" and "I'll just fuck you like we're in Houston" I don't think i'm a big fan of this one. What do these really mean? Definitely not a turn on.

6. Ignant Shit (ft. Lil Wayne)

Definitely an array of "ignant shit" listed off with sampling. I want new stuff..cmon. Then lil wayne's contribution to this track was pretty ridiculous.

7. A Night Off (ft. Lloyd)

So this is what goes through an artist's mind. So you think this was a considerate song about taking a night off from the studio to hang with your girl, but i'm pretty sure he's just taking a break so he can sex you up.  Then the line "I know what to do wit it" is too deep for his range. It sounds like he's going to take my soul and then right after he says that he goes into this high pitch girly voice....not a good decision.

8. Say Whats Real

9.Little Bit (ft. Lykke Li)

So this is the first song I ever heard from him...probably why it's my favorite. But I do have to say I struggle if I like Lykke's original version or this remix. I like his contribution but i wish they would have kept the line of " for you I keep my legs apart and forget about my tainted heart.."

10. Best I Ever Had

Another song I really like. It's nice in general but then the line "You're the FUCKIN best" kinda ruins the mood. Then when he says "Make your pussy whistle like the Andy Griffith theme song" with the emphasis and drawn out "whistle" it's just not pleasant. It reminds me of Opie which reminds me of Gingers...ughhh. But i do like this line "you can have my heart. We can share it like the last slice."

11. Unstoppable (ft. Santogold and lil Wayne)

The reference of Mr. Feeny cracked me up. Drake was only on the track for 51 secs out of 3:30 minutes. Again Lil Wayne's contribution was ridiculous. Some of the things he says just flabbergast me.

12. Uptown (ft. Bun B and Lil wayne)

13. Sooner or Later

Does he really deserve a second chance? sounds a lil desperate

14. Bria's interlude

15. The Calm

16. Outro

17. Brand New

Umm I dunno if people really want to know about past relationships. " Did he give you lovin like this?" "Is anything I'm doin brand new?" Kinda reminds me of the scene from Closer with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen and he's asking about her six with Jude Law.   ..ohhh geez.

You can listen or download his mixtape right here

So there's the break down of their mixtapes. Hopefully you found this interesting.If not I'm sorry I put you through this. If you haven't noticed I kinda like Kid Cudi a bit more. I think his mixtape is a better collection of songs. I like Drake's singing voice a lot better, but I think Cudi is better with some of his lyrics. Drake is more like Lil'Wayne in that he has catchy phrases, but I want someone who can do it all.

wow

I just found this on biteonthat.com and thought that it was crazy:

Kid Cudi, the Cleveland rapper who helped Kanye West pen several songs on ‘808’s and Heartbreak,’ was involved in an altercation at an NBA All-Star Weekend party in Phoenix this past week.

According to reports, the kid named Cudi got into an argument with Reebok employees at their party, because he didn’t want to wear their shows onstage, opting to rock Jordan’s instead. Things got physical between Cudi and the Reebok camp, and when the police couldn’t control him, they tasered the young rapper.

Cudi responded to the incident via his blog, saying: “i didnt put my hands on anyone; the muthaf—- i was tryna touch, i couldnt reach his f—– coller to grab him…i dont even like violence and id like to talk suttin out before it gets physical. with that bein said, u kno it had to be suttin really REALLY f—– up for me to want to physically attack anyone.”

He also set the record straight regarding the Reebok versus Jordan footwear situation (as if there’s any comparison between the brands), saying, “it wasn’t over me wearin’ Jordans; i arrived at the event in the most fugliest reeboks ever, forcefully, the pair i chose to humiliate myself in …i call them the soul daggers, cuz it would break my moms heart if she saw me in these.”

While Cudi declined to comment on the real reason for the scrap, we’re siding with Cudi on this one. Just cause.

Now that's just craziness. If you haven't watched his new video for  "Day N Nite" I definitely suggest you watching it. It's pretty great.

First Post : Kim Osorio and Joe Budden

Welcome to to my adventures of finding music and all the opinions that go along with them.(Please excuse my poor grammar or punctuation. Sometimes I just have to type and not think about it, so I tend to run on.) I've always been able to connect songs with whatever I'm doing, so I thought why not share what I'm thinking and finding. Somethings may seem a little out there, but oh well. If you guys want to help me build my music knowledge or collection, please do. Just beware. I will give you my honest opinion. 

I have so many ideas for this blog, but since I had a pretty great experience today I'll start off with one that connects to it.

So this is a long story, but I always seem to find music in the most roundabout ways. So here the story goes:

Kim Osorio, the first female editor-in-chief at The Source, came to Newhouse for a speech about her book and her life as an editor for a hip-hop magazine. Sidenote: Something what I eventually want to do. So she seemed so interesting to me. I would recommend reading her book even though I haven't because her stories were intriguing. (what a weird sentence...sorry)

So I was doing some research on her because that's what journalism students do and found her blog. Another sidenote: I recently have developed an obsession with blogs, so if anyone has one they love send me a link please. On this blog was something about Joe Budden and his gf and so I watched it. Pretty ridiculous may I say, but I decided to look up some of his new stuff, because I'm always looking to increase my music library. 

So I travel on the web to hotnewhiphop.com and there I see Joe Budden. I clicked on If I Gotta Go. My first reaction was ooooh this is kinda interesting. It reminded me of musical jewelry boxes with a twist of creepiness. And then came the "singing." And I was like  "DAMN! his voice kinda ruined that whole intro." But the rest of the build up with the backup instrumentals are pretty good. I just wish I could read the lyrics somewhere.

Here's a link to the song. Tell me what you think.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBSolJ7GBMY