Is it just us, or does anyone else think this song was written in 1991?

Yes, all we need now is the khaki suit:

“Before I Self Destruct” is the aptly titled album from music’s resident bad guy, Curtis Jackson. Aptly titled because as far as his previous three LP’s this one does not measure up to the standard of work that he has put out in the past and may be signaling an end to his reign on top of the hip hop world. This is not a terrible piece of work, 50 hearkens back to his darker days and chose to go the ski mask way. Staying close to the roots that made him the icon he is, the album focus is more on gunplay than wordplay. References to his days as Boo-Boo pumping packs can be found from the onset of the album making fans wonder does he have anything left to talk about anymore. If this was album number two then it would make sense hearing about how the AK has cats under pressure but when someone has reached the status that he has, the masses need more. The double edged sword of the situation is that 50’s persona is based on that type of talk so to change now can possibly jeopardize who he is.

The album does not have the household name producers that are normally expected of a star of his magnitude. He first track is the Premier done ‘ The Invitation’ this is one of the standout tracks on the album but is followed up by the clichéd ‘Them Days Went by’ an ode to his days on the streets. Dr. Dre is behind ‘Death to my Enemies’ but that track does not really land with the punch that I am sure he thought it would. But he lands a shot with a line letting it be known this is not Carter; since he didn’t say a first name it is up to the listeners imagination which Carter he is getting at. But don’t worry he does not mince any words or names on the track that probably best sums up his career ‘So Disrespectful’ in which former group mates and current head of hip hop are not safe from the usual venom that accompanies a 50 Cent dis.

Its not always about barking at enemies as he addresses the fairer sex on a couple of tracks, however the magic that he had with previous songs like ’21 Questions’ and ‘P.I.M.P’ is not there. The single ‘Baby By Me’ featuring R&B crooner Ne-yo promises the lady the world but not an entirely great song. Even R. Kelly does not provide vocals that make the track jump but ‘Do You Think About Me’ is not bad.

Overall this like I said is not the worse thing that I have heard. The bangers exist such as the Team Demo produced “Crime Wave’ and ‘Stretch’ but the misses are there as Mobb Deep’s Havoc did not do this album any justice with the nonsensical ‘Gangsta Delight’ “Get it Hot’ and even Eminem’s appearance was so so at best. When talking about albums of 2009 this does not rank up there but it does not sink all the way to the bottom either.

RBMVibes rating: 3/5 coupons

We’re a family site tho…so a specific version of a Trey Songz video will not be posted here.

Go ahead Gucci Mane. You have taken the hood rapper throne.

A few years ago, Britsoul took over the music scene marking a British contribution to the music scene that hadn’t been felt in that magnitude since the 1980s arrival of The Police and U2 or when The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Davy Jones of The Monkees made their mark in the 1960s. It’s true that since then we’ve had amazing groups like Coldplay as well as pop phenomena like The Spice Girls but the arrival of Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Corrine Bailey Rae, Duffy, Estelle and Adele came in an unforeseen wave. Noticeably absent from these international superstars are males. With the exception of international DJ and proucer Mark Ronson, few recent British male artists are making a noticeable mark. There was that blip by Daniel Merriwether, but a reference to his name alone has just left most readers scratching their heads. (We didn’t forget Craig David, but …umm yea.)

Moving in to change the gender dynamics of British musical exports is Mr.Hudson. Moving away from the distinctive soul styling of his female counterparts, Mr. Hudson’s R&B/Pop sound has caught the ear of movers and shakers in the music industry. He appears on Jay-Z’s latest album The Blueprint 3 on the final track “Forever Young” crooning the lyrics of 1980s German pop band, Alphaville, bringing it into the 21st century with a smooth sound that is decidedly in contrast to Jay-Z’s harder rap style.

If Jay-Z is a fan, then you know Kanye West is not far behind. In fact, it is Kanye who signed Mr. Hudson to his label and Mr. West is also featured on Mr. Hudson’s second album Straight No Chaser. The title is a preview of exactly what Mr. Hudson offers. The songs tell stories without roundabout premises. Lyrically he gets to the point. His singing style avoids unnecessary flourishes and a clean production in the background provides a crisp and clean experience. Several of the songs on the album deserve special recognition, including the title track “Straight no Chaser.” On “Knew We Were Trouble” Mr. Hudson sings of a love that both parties recognized as wrong from the start, but continued. “Anyone but Him” is one of two tracks featuring Kanye West and in contrast to a lot of R&B/Rap collaborations the transitions are seamless with West and Hudson matching each others tempo, flow, and demeanor beat for beat. Also not to be missed is “Stiff Upper Lip” on which Mr. Hudson laments that he can’t allow situations to continue to go on in the manner that they are.

In numerous interviews Mr. Hudson has spoken about influences and several people have been ready to make comparisons. Your iTunes Genius may mix him up with the likes of Bowie, Prince, and Sting. I’d have to put the album with Maroon 5’s Song About Jane. The continents may be different, but obviously a woman can drive a man to drink. Straight…no chaser.

Ok so there was no concert and we all know that, but we can only imagine the madness if there was! This Is It was a movie experience like no other. If anyone had any doubts Michale definitely still had “it”. The live footage filled you with anticipation for what is, was and would have been. Michael Jackson alongside director Kenny Ortega, all the musicians, dancers, costume designers, and other technicians were prepapring themselves for a concert of the likes which have never been seen before and which may not come for some time still in lieu of Michael’s untimely passing.

This Is It streams video footage throughout rehearsal of several of Michael Jackson’s number one hits. With each song we are given a trio down memory lane and a chance to hear Michael sing passionately and at times quite soulfully, remiss of his Motown roots. Often times Michael took us to “church” with these renditions causing all those in the rehearsal space to stand in ovation. He was warm and appeared to be genuinely encouraging to those who would be featured alongside him singing duets, guitar solos, and his dancers. He wanted each one to have their moment to shine, a privilege that was evident they all so desperately wanted and felt honored to be given.

What was also cherished about this film is that we got to see Michael, outside of the press conferences and Barbara Walters’ interviews. Down to earth and often times frank with his cohorts Michael knew how to get his point across whether it was about how a keyboard intro should sound, or how a guitar solo should be played. These moments also gave us the opportunity to see his musical genius as he was able to guide everyone often breaking out in spontaneous song to demonstrate a riff, etc.

We were also able to get a glimpse of what may have been his weakened state of health as he appeared thin and wasn’t able to always perform fully throughout a rehearsal number. Despite this he was able to always show his talent and his expansive imagination in the ideas he shared that were being worked on using green screens, Swaroski crystals, and other media to bring this once in a lifetime event to his fans and to the world.

On behalf of Micahel we here at RBMVibes invite you to let it simmer and then sizzle for about two hours, and if you don’t get that then you need to go check Michael. Tell him we sent you.

The release of Jackson’s song comes on the eve of a release of the Jackson movie, also called This is It, due to hit theaters on October 28. The movie follows the preparation for the tour that Jackson was set to perform and was in the midst of preparing for when he reached his death. Along with the movie, a 2 disc album is also being released on October 27. Disc 1 will feature two versions of the title song along with Jackson’s greatest hits. On Disc 2, listeners will be treated to previously unreleased versions of Jackson’s greatest hits.

In recent years Jackson also released a commemorative album for Thriller, and sales of his songs shot through the roof immediately after his death, holding the majority of top spots on several industry boards. With this new release, his estate is hoping his selling power will continue to hold, and we’ll all see if Michael really still had it.

Source: New York Post “Reggae artist slashed with sword”

Her ability to write songs is not the only reason that she has been signed by Polow Da Don. Fans can hear her on tracks with Gucci Mane and Jeremih. They have called her style wild and exciting and very different backed with an exceptionally raspy but beautiful voice. Right now the buzz worthy “Drop it Low” with Chris Brown has been gaining a lot of momentum on the radio.

Coming from smalltown Muskogee, Oklahoma she was influenced by her mother who sang in church to begin singing. After a brief dream of owning her own restaurant, Dean went the unconventional route to find herself studio time. She literally thumbed through every studio in the Yellow Pages calling them until one gave her the shot that she needed. After a move to Omaha, Nebraska she eventually settled in Atlanta to get her singing dreams kick started. It almost didn’t happen though weighing in at (a very healthy in my opinion) 130 pounds. Shallow industry people told her that she needed to lose up to 20 pounds in order to make it. This caused her to almost brake down completely. She has even been quoted as saying that she would cry every night from the words that were told to her.

As they say luck is opportunity and preparation and she had both when a chance meeting with Chris “ Tricky” Stewart landed her a writing gig with him and Jazzy Pha. She is currently in L.A. putting together as yet untitled album with the help of Polow.

Check out her new tracks on the page as well as some of the hits she’s penned for others. Is she ready?

The new album was released on September 15th and has garnered deserving rave reviews. While the genuineness of Furtado’s musical switches have been questioned in the past, particularly with her “Promiscuous Girl” release that seemed a far cry off from her debut hit “I’m Like a Bird,” this album doesn’t elicit such questions. Furtado has already spoken with news outlets on her thought process, which included her daughter’s desire for more upbeat songs. If it was her daughter giving her musical advice, then she’s already cultivated a discerning ear for music. On Mi Plan her new Spanish language album, Furtado offers her general fun pop that she has delivered on her previous three albums, and the beats are infectious enough to attract non-Spanish speakers to the music. Where the music on Mi Plan differs from that of the Ricky Martin/Marc Anthony Latin Explosion of the late 90’s/early 00’s era is that the pop beats are still largely American sounding, meaning a mix of everything and less of a straight Spanish influence. It would not be surprising to hear complete English written lyrics over the tracks of this album. And perhaps, this is what will allow it to be a success in both markets: uncompromised lyrics in Spanish with simple enough phrases and a catchy beat that English speakers can also appreciate. Even if you don’t know that “Manos al Aire,” one of the lead singles on the album, means “hands in the air,” you instinctively want to throw them up in salute to the nature of the song.

Mi Plan is right in time as we prepare to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in October. Check out the video for her lead single, an interview with Alexa Chung and some classic Furtado below. If you don’t get down the espanol, no fear, she’s still planning an English album for her next release.

Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird
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Nelly Furtado – Turn Off The Light
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