Memorial Memories

What's going on people? With the joys of graduations, Memorial Day festivities going on I've been slacking on the blog updates. Believe you me, I've got a ton of material to bestow upon you all.

First things first I want to wrap up why I been missing from blogger action.

I have a full time job!

That in itself consumes anywhere between 30-40hrs of my week depending upon how early I leave when my boss isn't around, lol.

This past Memorial Day weekend I got to hang out with some old friends, eat some good food, hear about that Indiana Jones movie and how wack it was (haven't, and won't see it) and catch an Ole Ball game.

I finally got an opportunity to catch a Washington Nationals game at the state of the art Nationals Park down on the National Harbor in D.C. Even if you aren't a fan of baseball or sports in general the ballpark is simply amazing. With all the construction that's going on in the National Harbor, it's going to be the place to be once everything is complete.

I know everybody ate good this weekend with all those cookouts going on. Had a brief convo with one of my homies and he said "I used to have to choose to which cookouts to choose. Now I can't find one." Ahh the signs of growing up.

I don't watch too much TV but I got a chance to watch a little MTV Jams this weekend and see some new videos and hear some new music here's a few songs. Here are my opinions of them:

As I type this I've been exposed to a new track by Rocko entitled "Tomorrow" which has potential to be a club banger but all in all it sucks. "Umma Do Me" was so October and this is May and you're releasing your second single, signs of a flop.

Next up is "I Run This" Birdman feat Lil Wayne, I'm convinced that Birdman will never release another song that doesn't have junior on it. Birdman gives you his typical stunt in any weather raps, but surprisingly Lil Whoopi ripped this track, and saves it.

Game feat Keyshia Cole "Game's Pain," I've heard this track several times but saw the video for the first time and I'm going on record to say that Game is Garbage. I never thought that a person could gain success in the music industry by making references to every artist before him that he could think of. Like this is your third album dude and you're still doing the same shit, dropping names every bar. In this song in particular he mentions Biggie, Nas, LL, Luke, Jay-Z, Big Daddy Kane, just to name a few. It's like "dude stop making songs about other people man, find some content!!! I'm tired of this shit!" Keyshia looks succulent though, might I add.

Alicia Keys "Teenage Love Affair" I've always been a fan of Alicia, she's an astounding woman and her music is equally astounding. I dig this track and the video, they pay homage to Spike Lee's 20yr old classic School Daze. 

"Coconut Juice" by Tyga. If you don't know who this kid is, let me give you a slight background update. The kids last name is Nguyen. Yes that means he's Asian, well partly. He's actually part Jamaican and part Vietnamese which would explain why he has somewhat of a Reggae feel to this song. He's actually kin to Travis McCoy (Gym Class Heroes' lead singer) and he's signed to Young Money Ent. Which ALSO means he's Lil Wayne's artist, which would explain the pointless cameo Wayne makes in this video and the YM chain that hangs from Tyga's neck. (Whatever happen to Currency "the hot spitta" and Mack Maine?) Apparently the kid has two mixtapes online and his album drops June 10th same day as N*E*R*D...good luck kid! All in all I like this track it's fun, it's a good joint for the summer since that's when people like to hit the beaches and "put the lime in the coconut and twist it all up."

"Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body)" by 36 Mafia = Weak

"Aint Saying Nothing" by Fat Joe feat Plies and Dre (Cool and Dre) Typical Fat Joe track but the production by Cool and Dre is mad nuts as usual. Makes for a good track to ride to in the whip.

Lil Wil "My Dougie" this song is freaking hilarious. Good to see TX cats still trying to get out there in this Post Chopped and Screwed Era. Good club song, lyrically unimpressive (as most club songs are)

Rick Ross feat Nelly and Avery Storm "Here I am" this is a real warm song for the summer. Typical Ricky and Nelly is being Nelly on this one. Good collabo, makes you wanna get a MAIN LADY if you ain't got one already.

"I Got Money" Weezy feat Teddy Penderassdown this is the AUTO-TUNE anthem. Those of you not familiar with the technicalities of music making, Auto-Tune is the T-Pain voice, started by Roger and Zapp in the 80s. This song is everything you would expect from these two. I'll leave it at that. "I'm the bomb like tick tick...."     :-/

"I Luv Ur Girl" The Dream feat Young Jeezy has Jeezy in the music video version, but not on the radio version. Don't see what Obama or Clinton has to do with this song, but Jeezy finds away to begin this song with their names in his verse. I absolutely love this track, The Dream really exhibits that he's picked up a few things throughout his tenure in this game from his old head Robert "that put my face on that body" Kelly lol. Hope Dream doesn't start pissing off women...or on for that matter. The video is typical club/party atmosphere, NYG DE Osi Umenyora makes a cameo as the boyfriend of the girl Dreams "Luving" in this video.

Young Jeezy feat Kanye "Put On" Jeezy almost always has a hot beat, and you put another hot rapper on the track it don't matter what the context of the song is, it's going to be fire, as this song is...YOU STILL CAN'T BAN THE SNOWMAN, it's been proven. If I never said it before, Jeezy has earned my respect, I still won't buy an album from him though. "I got the money and the fame and that don't mean shit/I got the Jesus piece on my chain and that don't mean shit/Cause when the JESUS (GEEZ US) pieces can't bring me peace yo I need just at least ONE OF RUSSEL'S NIECES" -Kanye, wow!!!!!!

"Moving Mountains" by Usher this video picks right up where "Love in this Club" leaves off outside the desolate club that Usher was thinking of making love in. The production is really uptempo, sounds like something Timbo could have done. I like this though, I was getting worried about Ush. Not only is he not the top dog in the R&B game anymore but he was hitting us with too many club songs since his recent reemergence. This takes us back to the essence of what Usher made his name doing, these theatrical music videos ala MJ and a slow song about that special someone. A definite hit!

"Closer" by NE-YO was really on some MJ shit. Love the song, not feeling the video. Ne-Yo gets it done especially when it's time to release a single for the upcoming album.

Save the Best for last? or Do you? "Best Thing" Ush feat Hov...Hmmm two grown ass married men rapping about losing the best thing that ever happened to them. I like the concept BUT the song is kinda dull. Definitely better than that trash that they collaborated on Kingdom Come but Usher and Jay-Z is not a good mix...but that's just What JLB Thinks