Monthly Archives: May 2010

World Premiere: “Nothing’s Better” – Jazmine Sullivan

I mentioned last summer that if there’s one resurged-retro-soul-monger I’m fully behind, it’s Jazmine Sullivan. I was enchanted by her nonchalant-yet-solid debut album which boasted such modern-day opuses as “Bust Your Windows”, “In Love With Another Man,” and “Lions, Tigers, and Bears.” After her ’09 Grammy nod, Glee arrangement, and Cotton ad roll-out, Sullivan returns with a single that’s as sly and streamlined as ever. “Nothing’s Better,” produced by the overtapped Stargate conglomerate (see: Beyonce, Ne-Yo, Rihanna, …), bares an asphalt-rattling, symphonic backdrop that lets Sullivan’s chops do the shining. Comparing her vocals to other R&B countesses of the day: Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, even Fantasia Barrino; Sullivan’s rigor sounds more Broadway-trained than her fresh-from-the-corner vibrato may suggest, lending her projects the kind of distilled versatility her peers could only wish for. Jazmine Sullivan is just the type of soulstress we need to bring radio-ready R&B back to the critical tier.

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World Premiere: “Shutterbug” – Big Boi

Was always more of a Speakerboxx than Love Below, Outkast-ingly speaking.
That’s the reason I’m so psyched to hear Big Boi’s next chapter.
Peep his funkdafied new clip above and tell me you’re not too.

Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
hits 7.6.10

World Premiere: “RIDE (Remix)” – Ciara
(Feat. Bei Maejor & Ludacris)

With her latest vid banned, a steamy Vogue Paris Givenchy spread on newsstands (below), and her album on the fringe of release…what else is there for CiCi to do?

Sounds like a remix…

World Premiere: “Lego” – Crishan

I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is about this track that reminds me so much of The Rugrats. It could be the cartoon-sounding setting on Crishan’s vocoder, the staccato background in all of its pre-school paced glory, the fact the song’s metaslang-title is derived from a child’s play toy, or the farfetched presumption that Tommy Pickles had matured into a full-fledged (horn-dog) Pied Piper since we saw him last. (At one point, one’s coochie is even compared to Aquafina.) Is this what happened to the Reptar-loving runts post-potty training?

World Premiere: “I Wanna Get Drunk” – DJ Felli Fel
(Feat. Three Six Mafia, Fatman Scoop, & Lil’ Jon)

I’d really like to know – do things get any better than this? Three of the most ridiculous acts to surface in hip-hop (one of which has won an Oscar – guess who) on a track that samples Van Halen’s “Jump”? Correct answer: No. Things don’t get much better. (Unless, of course, David Hasselhoff were to add his lip to this beast of a track. Which wouldn’t be a hard stretch come to think of it. Remix possibility?) So, remember where you heard it first, ’cause it’s about to change your summer plans for good. Hopefully Three 6 will get the message and bury the Tiesto affairs already.

World Premiere: “Hello Good Morning” – Dirty Money
(Feat. Rick Ross & T.I.)

Diddy gets a little help from his friends in support of his heftily delayed summer comeback. See if you can count ‘em all. I spy Ricky Ross, Swizzy, a hellish Danja beat, Kaleena & Dawn, T.I., Hype Williams, and of course, fireworks. Good morning. Yawn.