I would like to start this review with a bit of honesty – keeping it completely one hundred, as they say – I do not really understand the platform/content of the site I am about to review. Not all of it anyway. And more important, I don’t like some of it either. But what I do like, I love, and all of it is something that I appreciate and find refreshing. But I am getting ahead of myself, so let me start with the basics.

Creative Control is a website co-founded by music video directors Coodie and Chike, the creative minds behind Kanye West’s first video “Through the Wire” along with Erykah Badu’s controversial 2010 video “Window Seat.” The site is a part of the DD172’s portfolio, Damon Dash’s umbrella entertainment company.
The site itself is a network of sorts, consisting of music videos from independent artists-of-color along with online television shows and odd ends, videos that are neither music videos nor television show, but one-off content pieces that are distinctive regarding the subject. One considerably great find is a video showcasing a young Kanye West receiving a new Mercedes Benz jeep and asking the dealer about the Maybach before it hits the U.S. market. Irony is not dead. (For those of you completely out of the loop, he rides around in a deconstructed one with Jay-Z years later in the “Otis” music video off of the album, Watch the Throne.)
The site itself is visually disarming and beautiful. Occupied by mainly black and white video, the video stills are housed against a smooth white, expertly simplified visual interface making it easy to navigate and get lost in. The only thing more encompassing than the stills exhibited like a well-edited photo essay are the subjects that offer snippets of their life and art. Uniquely defiant, enthralling, young, extravagant in their presentation and openly experimental, the subjects are that new black. Or maybe that old black that hadn’t found its place in the stream of current culture or was escorted out of it? (You see Mobb Deep’s Prodigy promote his newest album in one of the Odds and Ends videos along with other familiar faces from the annals of hip hop and pop culture.)
What I love about the site is simple – it showcases black artists being artists. I don’t like some of the things on the site, because some of the work just does not appeal to me. But that is a taste issue. For example, there is a video with Chanel Iman titled “Chanel in Run a Way” that I find to be a limp attempt at art; reminiscent of a perfume commercial, pretty with low impact. I do love that it has a format where it can exist and I respect the bravery it takes to put it out there. But it isn’t really about anything, so I moved on next.
There are extreme highlights to the site as well. I stumbled onto the site after getting hooked on a series called “The Menthol Show,” which is co-produced by a friend. Hosted by Ren Jett, a graduate of FIT, the premise of the show is to have one assumed tastemaker introduce you to other tastemakers based in New York. Ren makes a natural and easy connection with each episode’s subject by starting off with the “Or” segment. “Or” serves in a place of a traditional teaser trailer, where Ren asks the subject to choose between two seemingly random things, such as Janet Jackson or Regina King. (She chooses Janet of course, but I have a soft spot for Regina because she is a brown actress that STAYS working.)
Another favorite is the “Gatekeepers,” which humanizes the men that sometimes won’t let you pass go at some of NYC’s hottest spots. Sam Sneed, and his friend The Chad, offer up hilarious stories and insights into the less than human condition of NYC party goers. Attractive and dapper, these men detail the serious dangers of their profession along with the human follies that come up when people dress to impress… and miss. In one show segment, they talk about women’s fashion faux pas and proper dress etiquette. In another video, they describe a man sniffing coke in the middle of a crowd and to be fair, scenes like that are what make living in a city – this city – great. The show is best when highlighting the crazy that exists on the sidewalks and pathways leading into the club. These stories, no matter how foul, make you want to be the gatekeepers.
And that is what I love about this site. Whether the content appeals to you or not, it compels you to invest more than a slight glance at the work being showcased (even if they only offer that much per video). You gorge on the views and appetites of each subject…perhaps envious of the artistically slanted and wonderfully rambunctious (you assume) lives that they must be leading; only to realize that there is no need. Not because their life and opinions are more beautiful than your own, but that they too are a work in progress.

Check it out: http://www.creativecontrol.tv/www/

Okay, I think we are all familiar with G.O.O.D. Music… now add Mos Def!!
I’ll give you a minute to collect the pieces of your cranium and recompose yourself because, like mine, your head might have just exploded. Take a few seconds to look for gray matter.

If you don’t know why you should be hopeful for the future of music consider the following. The three current stars of G.O.O.D. Music are Common, Kanye West and John Legend.

We would like to thank a YouTube patron fond of reflection for the following phrase that sums up the signing:

“Mos Def just signed to G.O.O.D. Music? They’re starting to be something like Young Money, except the rappers on G.O.O.D. Music can actually rap.” © iceberggrebeci

Source:Mos Def signs to G.O.O.D. Music

“You know you done f*cked up, right?” When you can’t even get a cameo in a farce, you know you’ve gone too far. That means you’ve officially fallen off of the movie level. Oh, sure you have some straight-to-DVD drops coming in the next year or more, but you have definitely maxed out your A-list credit. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

We can’t even say you are a habitual line stepper, that would mean we grew accustomed to your outlandish behavior. From here, you might as well club baby seals, go whaling, become the Simon Cowell of a reality show, etc. Your comeback ante has just been upped to a daunting degree. Granted, I await what PR miracle your team cooks up for you to meander your way back into celebrity’s good graces but still you have major penance to make.

Maybe it was the gradual decline starting with Apocalypto. Maybe it was the anti-Semetic remarks. Maybe it was the male chauvinism. Maybe it was when you went Chris Brown on your jump off. Honestly, I’m not sure what the tipping point was, but you’re star-power needs some Viagra.

Actually, that might not be a bad idea. Be one of those middle-aged guys on the medical ads. Perhaps you should start smaller, take a cue from David Hasselhoff and make a YouTube video that is just embarrassingly lovable enough that America gives you a pass. Trust me, there is a LOT that we will let slide if you entertain us. Ask Kanye West fans.

Sincerely,

Misses Pre Crazy Mel

Source: Mel Gibson dropped from The Hangover sequel

I Am…

“If I Were A Boy” kicks off Beyoncé’s half of the album with an open-hearted role-play, fitting her in the shoes of a lover. In the verses she explores this vantage point through various scenarios, making choices as a wiser consciousness. Ms Knowles reaffirms her vocal prowess as if battling detractors, effortlessly moving from near whispers to uncompromising belting across the breadth of her range .

“Halo” and “Disappear” take barely innovative approaches to the same tunes you hear on the radio. Whether it be a subtle removal of superfluous synthesizers or the addition of acoustic guitar accompaniment, the focus is on delivering the ‘Beyoncé: singer-songwriter’ persona. Though her stories/songs fall short of compelling, they will still entertain those hungry for anything from Queen B. As well, “Broken-Hearted Girl,” with it’s trudging piano and synthesized drums, will no doubt become the anthem of romantically abandoned adolescents.

The album returns to task with “Ave Maria”. In it the Houston native mixes the contemporary and the classical, weaving the third song of Schubert’s “Ellens dritter Gesang” (better known as “Ave Maria”) with an original ballad. From there Beyoncé channels her indie rock side for “Smash Into You” and “Satellites.” She seems more comfortable on these songs than the previous mid-tempo numbers which sound like Rihanna reject tracks; fitting since people generally feel the same way about Rihanna’s music.

Unfortunately, while I respect Ms Knowles’s sincere attempt to create a substantial album and re-establish herself as a singer/songwriter, the first five songs on the “I Am…” disc blend together a little too much; the rest, however, can grow on listeners. Regardless of the explorations from track to track, Beyoncé consistently asserts her talent so as not to be bumped from anyone’s list of prominent singers.

Sasha Fierce

I’m sure the “Sasha Fierce” disc will please the bulk of Beyoncé’s fanbase. Supposedly “Sasha” has served as Beyoncé’s stage presence since her solo debut if not before. Thus the throngs of those that usually hate it when their favorite artist tries something new will happily chant along with Ms Fierce.

“Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” immediately breaks away from the style of the first disc. Upbeat, club/radio friendly, ‘commanding-not-demanding’ Sasha tells it like it is and how it’s going to be. Her “your loss” attitude is quick to walk out of your life, each step more brazen than the antecedent; in much the same manner the song has strutted its way up and down the charts.

“Radio” idolizes the hit song mentality and falls right in line with the current post-modern movement in production. A sort of revitalized electronica experiment one might associate with Euro-pop or strobe lights. Stateside though, prominent producers TImbaland, Danjahandz, Kanye West, and Ryan Leslie have been toying with the triplet sixteenth-note pattern in padded synthesizer strings for the better half of the recession.

We learn the new definition of “Diva” on the track of the same title. Sasha lays out the female equivalent of a hustler and the her activities. Garnering comparisons to Lil’ Wayne’s “A Milli,” her diva feels perfectly at home over the track’s southern-style booming bass and kick. While “Sweet Dream” merely flirts with the electronica sound a bit more, “Video Phone” furthers the division in personas as Fierce seduces a suitor with sultry suggestions involving a cellphone–a side of Beyoncé I’m sure few behold. Overall this disc of the pair is as playful, rebllious and naughty as Sasha Fierce is reported to be.

Even if the entire release were on one disc with the same song order, the contrast between the two would be evident. If Beyoncé is Jekyll, then Sasha Fierce is her Hyde in both music and lyric. Understandably, there are things you do on stage that express inner creativity/lunacy and resonate with various audiences but don’t necessarily align with how you define yourself. Trust me. Complexity keeps an artist interesting and while I don’t know how Sasha Fierce feels, I’m definitely curious about the future of Beyoncé’s sound.

John Legend: Evolver

May I throw an ‘R’ before that album title, sir?

John Legend’s new album Evolver is what I like to refer to as mainstream soul.  In fact, John Legend in general defines mainstream soul.  He draws upon all that greatness that could make an artist iconic, but for some reason it never quite manifests into new greatness. Thus every time I hear about a new John Legend album coming out I get excited, but then when I go to listen to said album I lower my expectations as not to over-hype myself.  Somewhat like an M. Night Shyamalan film, there are things to appreciate if you skew your expectations, but don’t expect to be blown away.

Most notable already from the album is “Green Light” which you may have heard over the last few months on the radio or other such outlets.  A commendable effort to get out “from behind the piano” for which Legend has expressed a desire.  Another critic would go into something about an artist having to grow and reflect where they are through their music, but really… John is bored.  It’s understandable, remember when Alicia Keys went through the same thing.  “Green Light” is definitely a new side of Legend.  A side which everyone (listeners and critics alike) seems cool with, especially since Andre 3000 is in tow sprucing up the attempt.  So with a grandiose title like “Evolver” and lead off single vastly straying from the Legend we all know and … tolerate (hoping to love one day), I let my curiosity run through the new tunes to see what’s new with I Am Legend.

Though the intro got my hopes up, halfway through the album I’d say it is hard to even describe the growth of this album.  With his last album I could say “Oh, John Legend is doing this Black Tony Bennett thing…” and back it up with tracks like “Save Room”, “Where Did My Baby Go”, and “Slow Dance”.  Once Again brilliantly drew in the lucrative Norah Jones crowd while not alienating the young bucks.  Evolver would be an attempt at the reverse.  However, I don’t know that this album will succeed in retaining the baby-boomers (unless they start midway) and, as a younger member of the next generation, the last thing I want to hear is John Legend taking production cues from T-Pain (“Cross The Line”).  The sing-song chorus “Everybody Knows” while best suited for the audience participation part of a live show is otherwise forgettable. As well, the artist features on the album are pretty superfluous in the scheme of the album as a whole.  Essentially, John Legend exemplifies the rule about only featuring someone more famous than yourself (though, Estelle holds her own on “No Other Love” but I still stand by the comment – let that marinate).

The second half of the album takes a dramatic turn for the better.  If each of his albums has an “Ordinary People” on it, then “This Time” is Evolver‘s reincarnation just as “Again” was Once Again‘s.  I figure the titles of these ballads progress predictably so we can more quickly point them out.  “This Time” fails to debunk the fact that lightening never strikes the same place thrice.  Even still, it stands among the stronger cuts from Legend’s third EP with GOOD Music/Columbia.  “Satisfaction” harbors a more modern swagger in its production and almost does all of the work necessary to liven up Legend.  It should definitely be in the running to be a single.  Meanwhile, “Take Me Away” and “Good Morning” revisit that niche sound in which Legend excels and that divides him from the mainstream R&B personalities while leaving him slightly more noticed than his soul contemporaries (though I’m sure his association with Kanye West does not dim the spotlight).

In summation, Evolver probably works best if you see John Legend in concert.  He really must be tired of sitting at the piano and the tunes here can at least let him stand behind a microphone (even walk around – which he does do if you see his full concert. Fun times).  However, the album overall may be slightly underwhelming if not merely the John Legend you’ve heard before.  Though why shouldn’t it be?  Same artist, different day… er album.  As previously affirmed, John Legend is mainstream soul soon aspiring to R&B.  While lacking those few undeniable hit songs you can’t help hearing on repeat, Evolver at least holds you over until that next John Legend album for which I’m already getting excited, thinking about its potential.

Your favorite raspy rapper has gone platinum in one week. Selling one million copies since its June 10 release “The Carter III”, Wayne’s sixth album, gives him the best debut so far this year. The last album to sell one million in its debut week was “The Massacre” by 50 Cent. No album in 2006 broke 800,000 copies sold in its first week out. Kanye West’s 2007 effort “Graduation” was a mere 50,000 shy of the platinum mark selling 957,000 in its first week despite the competition from Curtis (no pun intended).

Proclaiming himself the “best rapper alive”, Wayne has considerably increased his fan base. His previous best week was the opener for “The Carter II” which entered the 2005 charts at No. 2 moving 238,000 units its debut week. Wayne says “The Carter III” released via Cash Money/ Universal is “completely left field”. He also, apparently, has taught himself to play guitar taking credit for riffs on [Shop Boyz'] “Party Like A Rockstar (remix)”. “A lot of people don’t know that’s me,” said the rapper born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.

Reviews have been mixed for “The Carter III”; the Boston Globe seeming ‘polite by obligation’ while XXL says it was just “OK” and OkayPlayer doesn’t even seem to acknowledge the release. Additionally, the album suffered many delays and setbacks. So fans expectations are probably set to be underachieved regardless of the performance on wax. The frequent changes to the release date were mostly due to leaks. So many occurred that Sylvia Rhone (Universal Motown President) decided to release five to six of the leaked tracks under the title “The Leak”. When asked if he has ever leaked his music Wayne responded:

Hell, no. I’m not with file-sharing and downloading. The reason I haven’t put an album out in four years is because for the past three my music’s been leaked. If you think about it, “Tha Carter III” is really technically like “Tha Carter VI.” That’s how busy I’ve been. That’s why I put so many mixtapes out. If you hear any of them from this month or last month or the month before that, and it’s a song that doesn’t contain a beat from someone else, then that’s a leaked song.

Editorial:

Yeah, i only put this here because I figured someone else would care. Good for him for learning an instrument though, invest in your craft. He also said something about listening to Prince. Then again who doesn’t? Also, from what i hear that Coldplay album (Viva La Vida) is about to waylay the market. So bask in the thugnificence now, mayn. Gone and bank.