It's summertime and time for the ice cream man to make his daily rounds while kids go crazy and chase him as they attempt to eventually cool down... anyway Eddie Murphy's "Delerious" is one of my favorite stand ups of all time and this clip is classic.. enjoy!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
"Ode to the Greatest"
As I sit here and think about the most appropriate way to go about writing about the passing of the only celebrity who has ever had a major impact on my life, I struggle to figure out where to start.. With that said, I've come to the conclusion that I will go about writing my "tribute" to the greatest icon in the history of entertainment in a different fashion than anything I've read as of yet.
Michael Jackson passed away about a week and a half ago and while many people are being reminded of how ingenius his songs, videos, concerts, and dances were, I needed no reminders. Ever since the day I found out who Michael Jackson was I tried to be like him in terms of attempting to emulate his dancing and even his singing at times. No one could dance like him. No one could sing like him. No one could perform like him... not by a long shot. He single-handedly saved MTV, the same network that for a long time denied him any airplay due to his race, and made it into what it is today. He made more great timeless music than anyone in my lifetime and has single-handedly influenced more artists and people in general than any other person I can think of. Anyone who knows me well knows how big of a fan I was of his so when he passed, as much as I feel strange admitting it, I felt like my uncle had just died.
As his record sales rise and get closer and closer to reaching an unprecidented 1 billion copies sold, I hope that people can remember Mike, not only for his incredible music, his untouchable dance moves, his one of a kind videos, his electric performances, and his universally known staples (crotch grab, leg kick, moonwalk, "shum on," "hee hee" etc.) but I hope that people see what I admired him most for... Allow me to elaborate: While Michael stood as the greatest entertainer on the entire planet, people tend to forget that he was also the greatest humanitarian and an incredible lover of people. Not only did he make more socially conscious songs than probably any other "pop" artist of our time, but he physically did so much to give back to his race... not blacks, not whites, but humans.
In 1984 when Jackson was very badly burned during the filming of a Pepsi commercial, he received a $1.5 million settlement from the soft drink company outside of court. After he got this money, the icon simply donated every penny of it to the hospital that took care of him during the incident. They eventually renamed their burn unit after Mike. Among his numerous Guiness world records is the record for most charities supported by a pop star (I believe it was 39 at the time). During his "Victory" tour in his early career, he earned about $5 million and donated it all to charity. When he and Lionel Richie co-wrote "We Are The World" they earned millions of dollars and donated it toward famine relief in less fortunate countries. He founded the "Heal the World" foundation to help fight homelessness, hunger, child abuse, sickness, and poverty. During the "Dangerous" world tour, he gave all of his profits to the foundation, eventually sending almost 100,000 pounds of supplies to the capital city of Bosnia. Those are just a few of the contributions that Michael Jackson made to the betterment of the world. He didn't just talk the talk, or sing the song for that matter, but the man walked the walk... he moonwalked the walk. He truly practiced what he preached and tried his hardest to really heal the world and make it a better place for the entire human race.
For one to care that much about others despite his personal fame, fortune, and success is admirable on so many levels. If people cared as much about the overall improvement of others as they cared about themselves this world would be completely different. When we succeed, we have a responsibility as human beings to give back. I can truly only speak for myself when I say that if I'm not positively effecting the lives of people around me, then I have no purpose. (This mentality is partially why I was unemployed for some time but thats another story). There will never be another Michael Jackson but if we all just consciously make ourselves aware of the ills of this world we live in and at least make an attempt to change it and make it a better place, we will one day be able to look back on our lives confident that we had purpose. No matter what other people choose to focus on when they remember the life of Michael Jackson, no one can ever say that the man died without fulfilling his purpose. He inspired, he loved, he created, and he truly did heal the world of some of the small wounds that it had and it is up to us and those who come after us to continue to live our lives with this in mind. R.I.P. Michael Jackson. May your music, dancing, service, and legacy live on through us all.
Michael Jackson passed away about a week and a half ago and while many people are being reminded of how ingenius his songs, videos, concerts, and dances were, I needed no reminders. Ever since the day I found out who Michael Jackson was I tried to be like him in terms of attempting to emulate his dancing and even his singing at times. No one could dance like him. No one could sing like him. No one could perform like him... not by a long shot. He single-handedly saved MTV, the same network that for a long time denied him any airplay due to his race, and made it into what it is today. He made more great timeless music than anyone in my lifetime and has single-handedly influenced more artists and people in general than any other person I can think of. Anyone who knows me well knows how big of a fan I was of his so when he passed, as much as I feel strange admitting it, I felt like my uncle had just died.
As his record sales rise and get closer and closer to reaching an unprecidented 1 billion copies sold, I hope that people can remember Mike, not only for his incredible music, his untouchable dance moves, his one of a kind videos, his electric performances, and his universally known staples (crotch grab, leg kick, moonwalk, "shum on," "hee hee" etc.) but I hope that people see what I admired him most for... Allow me to elaborate: While Michael stood as the greatest entertainer on the entire planet, people tend to forget that he was also the greatest humanitarian and an incredible lover of people. Not only did he make more socially conscious songs than probably any other "pop" artist of our time, but he physically did so much to give back to his race... not blacks, not whites, but humans.
In 1984 when Jackson was very badly burned during the filming of a Pepsi commercial, he received a $1.5 million settlement from the soft drink company outside of court. After he got this money, the icon simply donated every penny of it to the hospital that took care of him during the incident. They eventually renamed their burn unit after Mike. Among his numerous Guiness world records is the record for most charities supported by a pop star (I believe it was 39 at the time). During his "Victory" tour in his early career, he earned about $5 million and donated it all to charity. When he and Lionel Richie co-wrote "We Are The World" they earned millions of dollars and donated it toward famine relief in less fortunate countries. He founded the "Heal the World" foundation to help fight homelessness, hunger, child abuse, sickness, and poverty. During the "Dangerous" world tour, he gave all of his profits to the foundation, eventually sending almost 100,000 pounds of supplies to the capital city of Bosnia. Those are just a few of the contributions that Michael Jackson made to the betterment of the world. He didn't just talk the talk, or sing the song for that matter, but the man walked the walk... he moonwalked the walk. He truly practiced what he preached and tried his hardest to really heal the world and make it a better place for the entire human race.
For one to care that much about others despite his personal fame, fortune, and success is admirable on so many levels. If people cared as much about the overall improvement of others as they cared about themselves this world would be completely different. When we succeed, we have a responsibility as human beings to give back. I can truly only speak for myself when I say that if I'm not positively effecting the lives of people around me, then I have no purpose. (This mentality is partially why I was unemployed for some time but thats another story). There will never be another Michael Jackson but if we all just consciously make ourselves aware of the ills of this world we live in and at least make an attempt to change it and make it a better place, we will one day be able to look back on our lives confident that we had purpose. No matter what other people choose to focus on when they remember the life of Michael Jackson, no one can ever say that the man died without fulfilling his purpose. He inspired, he loved, he created, and he truly did heal the world of some of the small wounds that it had and it is up to us and those who come after us to continue to live our lives with this in mind. R.I.P. Michael Jackson. May your music, dancing, service, and legacy live on through us all.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Blame It On The God In Me
I really can't get over how secular that mary mary "god in me" song sounds... Am I wrong for thinkin bout sippin on somethin and dancin with a girl when I hear that song!? I know its a gospel song but come on.. It sounds like "blame it"... Lol like for real though, its a hot song and I be feelin conflicted cuz I don't know if I should snap my fingers, do a step, or praise the lord all by myself... They even had kanye west in their video. I just wonder where is the line drawn with gospel music sounding like secular music. I'm sure the whole point is to appeal to a secular audience but I think that is a bit of a risk because if you steer too far away from the distinct sound of your particular genre, you may confuse your audience as well.. Just a thought.. Song is good though lol.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Los Angeles Lakers 2009 NBA Champions
To all the laker haters and kobe haters, I hate to say I told you so but um.. Actually I love to say it! I TOLD YOU SO... LA Lakers 2009 NBA champs! Thank you very much.. that is all.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
New Artists, New Sounds, New Generation: Artists to Look Out For... Or Not
As a music lover, I have been really really hungry for some good new music but there has been a major drought lately. The quality of music, at least in the genres that I listen to most, is at an all time low. I feel significantly less intelligent everytime I hear some of these songs. It almost seems as though the quality of the music has a direct correlation with the economy or something... I really have no clue but I'm trying to make sense of it...... Anyway, in the midst of the era of the "Stanky Leg" and "Hallie Berry" songs, its hard to find decent new music so I've really been keeping my ear open to new artists that have been coming out. Some of them I like and some of them I dont care for much at all but I can honestly say I've given them a chance. So, with that said, the following 5 artists are fairly new and/or are on the verge of becoming household names.... if they're good enough:
This is somebody who has a little buzz, has a hit song, and is associated with some successful people (Kanye) but if his career gets much further than "Day and Night" I'll be surprised. There just isn't anything special about him musically in my opinion and I just can't seem to find the urge to ride the bandwagon. Like I said, I'm hungry for new music so I'm open to almost anything now and I'll continue to look out for his other work in hopes that he'll come along with something I can vibe with.
I admit, I did not like this kid much at all but something told me to check out his album and see how it is.. I listened to his new album "Asleep in the Bread Isle" and was surprisingly impressed by a few of his songs. I slept on the kid, I admit, but I'm still not sure how successful he'll be even though he appeals to a very specific crowd. Better than I thought but still not too sure bout him or how he'll do in the near future. Although I'm still not feeling "I Love College" I think his album is certainly worth a listen. Give the kid a chance... you might actually like him.
I personally feel, with absolutely no sort of bias or outside influence involved, that this kid will be the most commercially successful among all the artists on this list. I never watched Degrassi or anything so I didn't know who he was but heard a few people rave about him and his music and once I gave his tracks a listen I understood what the buzz was about. He sings and raps and actually does both very well. This is a unique quality that has many have attempted but never quite done this well. With the buzz this kid has now along with his talent and association with the right people, any A & R who doesn't give him a deal would be quite foolish in my eyes. I look forward to what he does in the near future.
1. Kid Cudi
This is somebody who has a little buzz, has a hit song, and is associated with some successful people (Kanye) but if his career gets much further than "Day and Night" I'll be surprised. There just isn't anything special about him musically in my opinion and I just can't seem to find the urge to ride the bandwagon. Like I said, I'm hungry for new music so I'm open to almost anything now and I'll continue to look out for his other work in hopes that he'll come along with something I can vibe with.
2. Asher Roth
I admit, I did not like this kid much at all but something told me to check out his album and see how it is.. I listened to his new album "Asleep in the Bread Isle" and was surprisingly impressed by a few of his songs. I slept on the kid, I admit, but I'm still not sure how successful he'll be even though he appeals to a very specific crowd. Better than I thought but still not too sure bout him or how he'll do in the near future. Although I'm still not feeling "I Love College" I think his album is certainly worth a listen. Give the kid a chance... you might actually like him.
3. Drake
I personally feel, with absolutely no sort of bias or outside influence involved, that this kid will be the most commercially successful among all the artists on this list. I never watched Degrassi or anything so I didn't know who he was but heard a few people rave about him and his music and once I gave his tracks a listen I understood what the buzz was about. He sings and raps and actually does both very well. This is a unique quality that has many have attempted but never quite done this well. With the buzz this kid has now along with his talent and association with the right people, any A & R who doesn't give him a deal would be quite foolish in my eyes. I look forward to what he does in the near future. 4. Janelle Monae
Now, remember what I said about not having any sort of bias and such about the last artist?? Well if I said the same about this young lady, I'd be fibbing a great deal. Although she's not necessarily a brand new artist, she still hasn't gotten her time to shine quite yet. I fell in love with her voice on the Idlewild soundtrack because of her unique jazzy/theatric/retro sound. When I took time to listen to her other music, it was right down my alley... creative, weird in a way, eclectic, funky.. like two of my favorite artists, Andre 3000 and Erykah Badu, had a child (yeah yeah I know they did but bare with me and my analogy please) and the child was trained to perform by James Brown, got pointers how to dress by Prince, and was given voice lessons by Ella Fitzgerald. Janelle is just something special.. and I'm not saying all this because I have a bit of a crush on her... its just a coincidence. I'm just waiting for her label to let her do her thing.. I pray that Mr. Combs doesn't mess things up for her... my favorite artist in this line up.
5. Chester French
When I saw these guys open up for N.E.R.D. and Common last fall, I didn't know what to expect.. As they began to play, my friends and I were caught off guard, to say the least, by their edgy ass lyrics but I wasn't sure how to react because their music was really dope! Well, I listened to some of the songs I heard live that night a little later on the internet and I must say that I was feeling it. I like these dudes 'cuz they really don't give a damn.. really. Their style, similar to Janelle's, is very unique and can't really be categorized as just one thing. CF was a good pick up for Pharell and the boys. I think together they'll make some ill music.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
