Mr. West Is At It Again

Just in time for the Olympics Mr. West releases the video Champion. How perfect! I've included the video below for your viewing pleasure. I'm mad at the little puppet/muppet thing running track. :o)

Dance hall vs Reggae:Which Do You Choose?

DISCLAIMER:You have to pardon my lack of knowledge about the subject at hand. If you disagree or have any suggestions, please let me know.

I decided to ask a few people who they considered popular, legendary, and successful Reggae artists. Below is a quick list of names give or take a few:

Bob Marley & The Wailers (only because EVERYONE knows who he is), Sean Paul, Elephant Man, Damien Jr. Gong, Shabba Ranks, Red Rat, Bounty Killer, Spragga Benz, Movado,Maxi Priest, Beenie Man, Mr. Vegas, Baby Sham, Buju Banton, Chaka Demus, Tenor Saw

Notice majority of the artists mentioned came to rise during the dance hall era. I've heard a number of people say they prefer Reggae as opposed to dance hall. In fact a few of my friends have said, " I like the painful music, the music that tells a story. I don't like that shake your ass trash." So my questions are, when did we officially make the transition from Reggae to Dance hall? When did one style become more popular and almost immediately send the other into "EXTINCT" status? Finally, why are more people familiar with dance hall artists if most prefer Reggae music? Let's start by defining the two.

Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s.While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady. Reggae is based on a rhythm style characterized by regular chops on the off-beat, known as the skank. Reggae is often associated with the Rastafari movement, an influence on many prominent reggae musicians from its inception. Reggae song lyrics deal with many subjects, including faith, love, sexuality, relationships, poverty, injustice and other broad social issues.

Dance hall is a type of Jamaican popular music which developed in the late 1970s, initially as a more sparse and less political and religious variant of reggae than the roots style that had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably, with digital dance hall (or "Ragga") becoming increasingly characterized by faster rhythms with little connection to earlier reggae rhythms. Modern dance hall is also known as bashment

I did a little bit of research and noticed the transition from Reggae to Dance hall came in two waves. If I'm not mistaken artists such as Bob Marley & The Wailers, Larry Marshall, and Johnny Nash initiated the Reggae movement, followed by Shaggy (I know people really don't consider him as a Reggae artist), Patra, Super Cat and Shabba Ranks who sought the transition to Dancehall as early as 1990 segueing to artists like Elephant Man, Sean Paul, and Beenie Man in the mid-to late 90s. According to Joel Whitburn's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles 1942-2004 , Bob Marley & The Wailers had 6 Top 100 Billboard hits.

Roots, Rock, Reggae Peaked at 37
Exodus Peaked at 19
Waiting in Vain Peaked at 38
Wake Up and Live Peaked at 93
Could you Be Loved Peaked at 56
Buffalo Soldier Peaked at 71

*I'm beginning to question the billboard charts because hardly any of his more recognizable songs made the Top 100... hmmm :o(
Flipped through the book a little more and came across Super Cat who had 5 Top 100 Billboard hits between 1992-1995

Super Cat Top 100 Hits
Ghetto Red Hot Peaked at 89
Dem No Worry We Peaked at 87
Dolly My Baby Peaked at 64
Scalp Dem Peaked at 49
Girlstown Peaked at 59

Finally I looked up Sean Paul who had 12 Top 100 Billboard hits (some of them as a featured artist), with 5 of them peaking at least at #10 and below on the charts.

Hot GalToday f/ Mr. Vegas Peaked at 66
Deport Them Peaked at 80
Gimme The Light Peaked at 3
Hey Sexy Lady Shaggy f/ Sean Paul Peaked at 97
Gimme The Light (Remix) f/ Busta Rhymes Peaked at 4
Breathe Blu Cantrell f/ Sean Paul Peaked at 83
Get Busy Peaked at 1
Like Glue Peaked at 9
Baby Boy Beyonce f/ Sean Paul Peaked at 1
Shoomp De La Soul f/ Sean Paul Peaked at 43
I'm Still In Love With You f/ Sasha Peaked at 13
Say Ay Ay Ay Tony Touch f/ Sean Paul Peaked at 77

Compare those numbers to Bob Marley and The Wailer's 6 top 100 hits (only Exodus peaking at #19)its obvious Dance hall is the more popular brand. With the rise in Dancehall popularity there was more opportunity for dancehall artists to collaborate hence the many Sean Paul callabos making the top 100. It may have taken time for people to adjust to the changes (the 2 waves throughout the 90s) within the genre, but the popularity of Dance hall has skyrocketed to heights old school reggae has never seen.
I'm sure there are a number of reasons Reggae didn't see the same success as Dance hall. This could be due in part to certain artists resisting crossover music (sell out music) thus limiting their exposure. (Although I've heard many people believe Bob Marley was becoming more and more commercial once his celebrity status began to grow exponentially) Some believe encompassing crossover elements causes the music to loose track of its agenda. Referring back to the Wikipedia definition, Reggae song lyrics deal with many subjects, including faith, love, sexuality, relationships, poverty, injustice and other broad social issues. Dance hall as opposed to Reggae doesn't cover such a wide range of social issues. I tend to think the music has lost its passion by loosing the message. In addition, digital instrumentation became more prevalent in the mid-1980s changing the sound considerably, with digital dance hall (or "Ragga") becoming increasingly characterized by faster rhythms with little connection to earlier reggae rhythms(Wikipedia), thus becoming more popular in the mainstream. (clubs, radio, television) In conclusion I feel comfortable saying the transition from Reggae to Dance hall was implemented throughout the 1990s. Although the messages imposed in Reggae music may have been lost or compromised for commercialism the history remains deep routed. Lets be real, Dance hall is more widespread because of the exposure it receives. With mediums such as satellite radio, niche cable networks, as well as the Internet, the music reaches twice as many people. (Reggae didn't have as many outlets for exposure in 1970 as Dance hall does in 2008) In my opinion there is a time and place for everything! When I'm in my apartment getting ready for girls night out, please believe Movado, Red Rat, Sizzla, and a little bit of Bounty Killa is on the play list. But when I've had a hard day at work, it's B. Marley and The Wailers all day.


Check this site for the 100 Greatest Reggae artists http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/best_artists-reggae.html

Please note a couple of the songs are freestyle tracks. For those who aren't familiar with the term, a freestyle track is when a artist performs over instrumentals/beats previously used.(Freestyles are usually performed on mixtape compilations)



I can't leave you without a video. Check out my favorite Marley songs

Who Is Jazmine Sullivan?

Setting: South Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Date: Saturday April 26 2008

What a perfect place and setting for my first audio encounter with this powerful soul-felt songstress. It was Penn Relays weekend 2008. (I'm starting this post like it was the night before Christmas lol) Well the day was a total bust. I traveled all the way from New York only to get to UPenn's stadium and sit outside for 4 hours. After twiddling my thumbs for half the day I decided to take a trip to South Street to visit a good friend (hey Holli) and scarf down some cheese fries from Ishkabibbles. Holli was super anxious to let me hear a few songs from up and coming Philadelphia artist Jazmine Sullivan. Knowing how thirsty I am for new music, Holli definitely fed into my eagerness by handing her iPod right over. Needless to say I heard one song and that's all she wrote.(I promise I'll stay away from the cliches) Her debut single Need You Bad made me think about my boyfriend and really that's all it took for me to evaluate and conclude that she is the change we've all needed. As soon as I got to work Monday morning I stalked her on iTunes... NOTHING! I ended up surfing the Internet trying to find more of her music... still not much. Finally after 2 weeks, her song arrived on iTunes.

Why is she better than everyone else? Well I'm just tired of talentless, pretty face, "I'll just dress nice and dance half decent" artists. Her voice tells a story, her sound is reminiscent of Lauryn Hill, and her image is non traditional. In my opinion it takes a lot of guts to release a R&B song over reggae instrumentals as your first single. Most die hard R&B fans aren't prepared for that blend. Sullivan's love songs touch on everything from cheating, to breakups, back to reconciliation. Here are a few lyrics from Bust your Windows

I bust the windows out ya car
And no it didn't mend my broken heart
I'll probably always have these ugly scars
But right now I don't care about that part

I bust the windows out ya car
After I saw you laying next to her
I didn't wanna but I took my turn
I'm glad I did it cause you had to learn

I must admit it helped a little bit
To think of how you felt when you saw it
I didn't know I had that much strength
But I'm glad you know what happens when...

I like this chick! One worry of mine is that they will try and make her loose weight thus diverting attention away from her talent and onto her appearance.(This industry is known for its superficial, delusional standards of beauty) Personally I think she's just perfect the way she is!
Crisette Michelle vs. Jazmine Sullivan
Hands down Jazmine Sullivan wins! I can't quite put my finger on it, but everything about this girl seems genuine.
1)It could be the fact she did a remake of Andre 3000's Prototype from the album The Love Below
-OR-
2) It could be the fact that she was absolutely adorable on the Apollo (see You tube video below)

I've been surfing around the Internet and found out a lot of people are knocking her for sounding very similar to the legendary Lauryn Hill. (I agree she does sound a lot like her) Well, you can't help what your voice sounds like and in all honesty we need a Lauryn Hill resurrection. (or something close to it)
There's no Wikipedia submission so I guess that leaves me sourceless (Ahhh that's terrible) So you can find out more about J. Sullivan on her page (http://www.myspace.com/jazminesullivan) I've included a few of the songs iLike on the media player below. And that's how great music spreads people!
Here's a throw back of ole girl singing at the Apollo. I'm sure she's thrilled to see this resurface :o)


Songs iLike
Bust your Windows
Lions & Tigers
Prototype (yes its the Andre 3000 remake)
Need You Bad remix f/ T.I.

Life & Times of Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.

Who:Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.
What:Tha Carter III
Where:Anywhere in the US where there's a radio, cd player,MP3 player or TV
When:Summer 2008
Why:It's been 3 years since he's dropped an OFFICIAL album

OMG he's everywhere! I see this little gremlin-midget all over Youtube, BET, MTV and any other station that hasn't quite grown tired of him...yet. I've even noticed my mother unconscious of her Lil Wayne rants as if she knows what shes talking about. Quite honestly I've grown a bit agitated and annoyed with the constant quoting of Lil Wayne as if he's speaking the gospel. But for some reason I can't grow to hate him. Tha Cater III could be considered by many as the official album of the Summer for 2008. His record sales have reached ultimate industry heights having sold over a million copies in the first week. In my opinion this is one of the best collaborative albums in the history of recent hip hop. The Carter III callabos include Jay-Z, Bobby Valentino, Robin Thicke, David Banner, T. Pain etc. (The list goes around the corner and out the door) But enough of that. Let's look at Lil Wayne's progress throughout the years from a member of The Hot Boys to self proclaimed "Best Rapper Alive". For reference I've included a chart of record sales I found in the Feb 9 2008 issue of Billboard Magazine.
Weezy has released six albums and has more than 40 guest appearances since 1999--17 of those collaborations in the last two years. Below are the top 11 collaborations as sited in Billboard Mag.
Billboard Chart Topping Collaborations
You (LLoyd f/ Lil wayne) Peaked at #1
Soldier (Destiny's Child f/ T.I. & Lil Wayne Peaked at #3
Duffle Bag Boy (Playa's Circle f/ Lil Wayne Peaked at #4
Back That Thang Up (Juvenile f/ Manny Fresh & Lil Wayne) Peaked at #5
Gimme That Chris Brown f/ Lil Wayne) Peaked at #5
Make It Rain (Fat Joe f/ Lil Wayne) Peaked at #6
Stuntin Like My Daddy (Birdman & Lil Wayne) Peaked at #7
Bling Bling(BG f/Baby,Turk,Manny fresh,Juvenile,& Lil Wayne) Peaked at #13
Pop Bottles(Birdman f/ Lil Wayne) Peaked at #15
Tha Block Is Hot(f/ Juvenile & BG) Peaked at #24
Holla @ Me(DJ Khaled f/Lil Wayne,Paul Wall,Fat Joe,Rick Ross &Pitt Bull) Peaked at #24
How's that for a track record? According to the Billboard article, Wayne plans on continuing to make guest appearances on other artists' records which he considers his most essential promotional stategy.

A lot of people tell me not to jump on all these features, but I don't listen to nobody. I love to make music with people and for people. If you create it for yourself, it's selfish of you. What I create is beautiful, and I like to share the beauty. I promote myself. At the end of the day, who is the victor in that situation? Lil Wayne.

Now back to the issue at hand
Did I buy the whole cd(Tha Carter III)? No
Did I download some songs from iTunes? Yes
Do I blast it while I'm cleaning my house on a Saturday morning? Yes
Do I Let the Beat Build every morning while I'm getting ready for work? Yes
Well that's good enough for me. In conclusion, I dig Tha Carter III and Lil Wayne as a artist. I'm just a little Weezied out for the rest of the year. Hopefully, just hopefully they won't exhaust his stardom like they often do with most popular artists.

There Aint Nothing Like A Brooklyn Girl

I was uploading music onto Imeem one day and came across the music page of 20 year old producer, writer, and rapper Charles Hamilton. As the page slowly uploaded I noticed the multicolored solar systems with swirly lights and lots of distracting graphics. Of course I love the pretty, outerspace, stary, cosmo type stuff but not exactly what you expect to see as the page backdrop for a aspiring rapper. At first glance I'm thinking, "Is this another Lupe Fiasco-I'm going to try the weird kid- outer space- skateboard gimmick?" Actually, its not that at all! In fact, Hamilton's persona and music successfully carve out its own space in the Hip Hop world.
First let me explain how utterly disgusted I am with this years summer "bangers". There has NOT been one song that I can officially say was my speaker blaster for summer 2008. That is, until now. Take a listen to Brooklyn Girls track 3 on the media player below (I'm getting better with technical side of blogging lol) Regardless of when the song was released I think newcomer C. Hamilton may have stepped up to the plate and claimed the title of "Brandi's most played summer track"
Just a few lines from Brooklyn Girls

I'm an uptown boy with Soho flava
The beat is D minor but I'm oh so major
I do my own thing so I owe no favors
Can't do it now then I wont go later

Back to the Basics
OK let's face it. We are amidst a generation of music where beats and instrumentals by far out weigh lyrical content. Hamilton's music is neither conscious nor gangster rap,but it does have that new hip hop generation appeal. Now I know it sounds pretty shallow of me to like music based on beats but this kid produces everything himself. Recently, sampling has become a major staple in the industry with producers such as Pharell, Kanye West, and Swizz Beats meshing the sounds of 70s & 80s hits with new school hip hop to give it a funky updated flair. It should be as easy as adding a little bass, a few other instruments, speeding the tempo, and sprinkling a few dope lyrics over a hot track...right? Wrong! Here's what C. Hamilton has to say about how he chooses to sample music.

"When I sample, I'm not just doing it to sound good. I'm trying to tell a story. To convey an emotion. If I sampled it, there is a reason I sampled it. I believe that music is based on moments, and that there are some moments that people may have missed back in the day. They may have even missed it a year ago. When I sample, I'm giving the artist their respect, while simultaneously creating something new."

Well, he must have a growing fan base considering popular NY DJ Green Lantern helped produce and promote the mix tape.
We all know of Harlem for what it has contributed to modern day African American-culture. Consider this, Hiphop has traveled all over the country sparking movements of all types. Maybe its time for the genre to return to its roots before it goes back out on tour. This is the future! The future consists of artists who can mesh rhythm with rhyme, pop with old school, swag with talent. I'll leave you with this quote.

I want to show the world that I, a Black kid from the hood, can connect the whole world through music. I also want to show the world that my hood is Harlem, the home of the Harlem Renaissance, which gave birth to most, if not all of modern-day art. Harlem is where art lives. The Greek god of Apollo was the god of entertainment. Where's the Apollo theatre?"

Songs iLike
Brooklyn Girl
Don't Touch Me
Superman
Check out this freestyle--
"Hip Hop isn't dead....It just turned 20" lol I like that!

What Brazil is Missing: A Closer Look at the Brazilian Girls

Ok so here's the deal! My coworker suggested I write a post on this group before they reached "larger than life" status. I'm sure you've heard their music before. In fact you can find them all over youtube and performing at clubs and events in NYC (Most recently Prospect Park in Brooklyn) They are The Brazilian Girls a local NYC group known for their worldly eclectic sound.Of course the name Brazilian Girls is a bit contradicting considering the group is composed of two guys ONE girl and not one member is from Brazil. But hey whatever works! (Its all about marketability people)
Why are they so different then the regular run-of-the-mill band? For starters the lead singer (Sabina Sciubba) was born in Rome and grew up in Munich and Nice. Growing up, she learned to speak German, Spanish, French, Italian and English, languages which she regularly incorporates into her songs. (Wikipedia) (I know I need to stop with the Wikipedia references)
Wow, when I tell you BG (Brazilian Girls) samples a little bit of everything I really mean they sample ALL types of music. It's particularly evident in the 2007 hit single More Than Pussy. I don't care much for the title but this creative montage of reggae, hip hop,and soul ,performed by a group of people who you'd least expect, is a great example of a group who isnt afraid to dabble in multiple genres.

Initially I was a bit hesitant to feature this group in a post, but I took a chance and found myself plesantly surprised. Sometimes people get so caught up in labeling artists by the obvious. Prematurely jugding talent based on factors as simple as race, genre, age, and over all appeal (attractiveness, sexuality, presentation) limits the consumer to buy music based on familiarity as opposed to individuality and uniqueness. We usually find ourselves listening to the same types of acts regardless of how boring and repetitive it becomes. Well try something new! (After all this blog is called expand you music horizon) In a culture where everything is beginning to become repetitive,this is a breath of fresh air from a group of people who you'd least expect. Give them a try. I'm begging you. You might just find yourself buying a song off of iTunes.

Just an FYI...
Brazilian Girls song Good Time will definitely go down in my book as one my all time favorite beach songs. Pardon me for associating great music with particular memories but I think we all do it from time to time.

My picks
Don't Stop
Good Times
St. Petersburg

Check them out!
http://www.braziliangirls.info/
http://www.myspace.com/braziliangirls

For your listening pleasure :o)



Don't Stop music video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIykKakGA8M

Check out R&R's Hit Predictor

Do you think this is accurate? Let me know!

Are You Ready for Beijing? AT&T Partners with Team USA

What do Nelly, Sheryl Crow, Kate Voegele, Colbie Caillat and 3 Doors Down have in common? They're among the top artists recording exclusive tracks for AT&T Team USA™ Soundtrack to inspire and support U.S. Olympic Team athletes as they pursue their dream of competing in the Olympic Games.
The music — debuting during the NBC and Telemundo broadcast of the 2008 Olympic Games — will be available during the Olympic Games right here at AT&T Team USA™ Soundtrack, and downloads will benefit Team USA. Other participating artists will be announced later, so come back August 8, 2008, to download exclusive tunes and support Team USA!


PROCEEDS INFORMATION
Due in large part to the generosity of artists, labels, publishers, and others involved in the production of this exclusive content, AT&T will donate to Team USA 100% of the purchase price paid for any AT&T Team USA™ Soundtrack content (other than Ringtones and AnswerTones) downloaded during the Olympic Games (July 22 - August 25, 2008). For any AT&T Team USA™ Soundtrack Ringtones and AnswerTones downloaded during the Olympic Games, AT&T will donate to Team USA 100% of the purchase price paid less a third-party operational charge of 10¢ for Ringtones and 56¢ for AnswerTones. Separate charges for data transmission of downloads may apply.

(Copied directly from the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack website) http://www.attblueroom.com/sports/teamusa/soundtrack/english/index.php

List of artists to be featured on soundtrack

*3 Doors Down *Army of Me *Chris Brown*Clique Girlz *Colbie Caillat *Flipsyde *Goo Goo Dolls *Josh Kelley *Kate Voegele *Lady Antebellum *Luis Fonsi *Mere *Nelly *Queen Latifah *Sheryl Crow *Taylor Swift

Speaking of the Olympics, I'm super syked to watch. I remember when I went to the 96 games in Atlanta. The night of the 100 meter finals was one of the most memorable moments of my life.

Song to remember-- "Reach" by Gloria Estefan

For more on historical TV ratings and buzz leading up to the Olympic Games (8.8.08)check out the Nielsen blog http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/category/sports/2008-olympics/