Public Service Announcement

Hey HM readers! If you visited the site yesterday then you probably saw that we were shut down. Thehonorable was able to rectify the situation by deleting the MJ and Akon post. So thanks a million to Mr. H for handling that while I am trying to enjoy my vacay. A Lot of hard work and heart goes into this site so that would’ve been tragic for it to be destroyed. Anyway…as a PSA no Michael Jackson material will ever be posted on this site again except for tawdry gossip. Please don’t post his sh!t either, because it will be deleted. Thanks folks!

Reecie

Essence Festival 2008- It’s About to Go Down!

So tomorrow I leave for my highly anticipated trip to New Orleans for the annual Essence Music Festival. The lineup this year is going to be incredible. Kanye West will be headlining on Friday with Chris Brown and Rihanna also performing. Saturday will be headed up by Jill Scott,  Musiq, LL Cool J and others. Sunday will be all about Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Chris Rock and some old school favs like Frankie Beverly and Maze. I cannot wait! I know there are going to be tens of thousands of visitors in the city, but if you see me in the streets then holla at me!

My question to the readers: will you be there? Which concerts are you attending? Who are you looking forward to seeing the most? Do you  have any sight-seeing suggestions?

If you aren’t going to be in Nawlins…what are your plans for the 4th?

Posted by Reecie

Listen: Michelle Williams “Hello Heartbreak”

Michelle Williams has a new song called “Hello Heartbreak”. This is not the kind of song I would ever listen to on GP…not even close. I kind of feel like this dance route she is taking with her music is sort of a copout. It doesn’t require any real skill or talent to sing the songs she is coming out with and we know that she can’t dance to save her life. To go from DC to Gospel to House/Pop/Dance music is just totally random. I get the feeling from her music that she has no idea who she is as an artist and that she is just singing whatever someone shoves in front of her face. It’s one thing to have eclectic tastes and be willing to try new things, but it’s a whole different story to just be lost in space with no authentic artistic base. But anyway…that’s my rant. For the fans…enjoy.

Hate it or love it?

Posted by Reecie

PS- Thanks again Brilliant for the tip

Listen: Gym Class Heroes “Cookie Jar” featuring The Dream

Gym Class Heroes has a new track featuring The Dream called “Cookie Jar”. For some reason when I see The Dream featured on a song I automatically expect to like it…but this track is starting to make me re-evaluate. GCH isn’t really my cup of tea to begin with…when you throw in the fact that the song is about cheating that just makes it all bad. BUT…I’ll show them an ounce of pub since I know some folks on this site like their music. Click here to listen

Are you feeling this track?

Posted by Reecie

Listen: David Banner “Shawty Say” featuring Lil Wayne

David Banner has a new song called “Shawty Say” featuring Lil Wayne. I guess David Banner is really desperate for new material to the point of swagger jacking a song still on the radio. Lil Wayne’s hook is hot, but duh that’s why “Lollipop” was such a hit. The production is cool and DB tries to switch the flow up (not  it though) so I just don’t understand why he couldn’t come out with an original hook…this is just f*&king lazy. If this song becomes a hit, he has nobody but Lil Wayne to thank. Click here to listen

Since I never posted his video for “Get Like Me” featuring Chris Brown and Yung Joc I’ll throw in this post for good measure in case anybody cares.

How can David Banner call his album “The Greatest Story Ever Told” with a straight face when he recycles the hook from one of the biggest hits this year while it is still on the radio? Kudos to him for losing weight and stepping up his sex appeal, but where is the creativity?

Posted by Reecie

 

Thumbs Up Or Down: Listen- Beyonce “Honesty”

HM Reader “Brilliant” posted this track in of the posts, so I’m sharing it with everyone. Beyonce has a track called “Honesty”…don’t know how new or old it is though. This is a typical ballad with a little dramatic flair that Beyonce always brings to her music. I don’t see this as a single at all, but it makes for a nice album cut. There is nothing particularly standout about this track, but considering that Bey went from making 10 music vids a week to nothing it’s new to hear new music from her camp. Click here to listen

Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Posted by Reecie 

Watch: T. I. - No Matter What

T.I. has a new video for his song “No Matter What”. He keeps the video simple with him rapping in front of a video montage of some of his greatest or most trying moments. Usually those kinds of montages are reserved for when the rapper is “unavailable”…but in this video it kinda makes sense considering the message of the song. You gotta give this dude credit…anyone else would’ve been rotting in jail but he managed to come out largely unscathed. I just hope he has learned his lesson and lives life on the straight and narrow this time around.

What do you guys think of this video? Will T.I. take advantage of the leniency of his sentence and stay on the act right?

Posted by Reecie

Listen: T-Pain “Can’t Believe It” Featuring Lil Wayne

T-Pain and Lil Wayne claim to be forming a group so this new song, “Can’t Believe It”, must be a product from their collab. Even though T-Pain has been super-cooning for a minute now and my patience is starting to wear thin with him, I gotta admit there is something kinda hot about this. It’s such a laid back beat and his flow goes perfectly with the song. Lil Wayne gets even more laid back with his flow to the point of being unintelligible lol. For once, Lil Wayne did not outshine another artist on a track. Click here to listen

Do you think T-Pain and Lil Wayne will make a hit duo? Will putting two prolific artists in a group cause extreme over-exposure?

Posted by Reecie

 

Name That Sample: Jay-Z “Blue Magic” and Bobby Valentino “I Said I Really Love You”

In this week’s “Name That Sample” it is time to separate the boys from the men (or the girls from the women lol). I’ll start off with a VERY easy one. Jay-Z has a very obvious sample in his song “Blue Magic”. Although some of the youngn’s on this site might not be able to name it…there is no excuse for anyone over 25 not knowing the answer. Can you name that sample? Click on the video below to listen to the song then Click here for the answer

Now for round 2…Bobby Valentino had a bunch of unreleased tracks that hit the net a few years ago that I’ve been bumping under the radar. Well this song is called “I Said I Really Love You” and I would be surprised if half of ya’ll were able to get this one. If you really know old school and listen to entire song you should be able to guess. Can you name that sample? Click on the video below to listen to the song then  Click here for the answer

Did you guess either of the samples correctly?

Posted by Reecie

Jay-Z Headlines Glastonbury and Amy Winehouse Needs to STFU

One of the most talked about musical moments recently is easily Jay-Z’s widely acclaimed show as the headlining act at the  Rock cult festival Glastonbury. Noel Gallagher of the Rock group Oasis criticized the organizers decision to choose Jay-Z to headline the festival saying that he/Hip Hop was wrong for it. Well Hov proved him wrong and even managed to poke a little fun at Noel by opening up his set with a cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall”. I personally could care less about the festival regardless of the fact that it had 100K concert goers BUT…seeing a Black man proving the naysayers wrong, especially anyone that tries to insinuate that he is inferior or unworthy of a certain stature, always does my heart good. So for that…kudos to Jay-Z.

Watch Jay-Z’s performance of “Wonderwall/99 Problems” below

Watch “Public Service Announcement / Dirt off Your Shoulder

Click here to watch all of his set (Youtube Playlist)

Moving right along I’m glad I set the record straight a year ago when a British Mag tried to crown Amy Winehouse the Queen of Soul. I caught a lot of flack for vetoing that, but she has totally proved me right since then. Her drugged out ass will NEVER reach that level and she is proving with every performance and scandalous act that she isn’t in the same league as the true Queens of Soul. I was already done with her when that video of her remixing a song with her own racist words surfaced…so when I read that she was talking reckless about Kanye at the festival and punching fans I was even more over her wackness. Will someone get this crazy bitch broad some help?

Watch Amy’s madness below

What do you think of Jay-Z’s historic night? Yes Amy made two hot albums, but aren’t you sick of her ass yet?

Posted by Reecie