Day Five: I wish that I could be what I want to, I wish that I could do what I don't do....

"It was my misfortune -- or salvation -- to be at all times perfectly conscious of my misperceptions of reality." - Susanna Kaysen

(Big Sean & Mike Posner w/ "Who Knows")

New Video: All of the Lights - Kanye West (**must see!**)

I'm in love with visualizers. A few weeks ago, a friend and I were watching visualizers (yes, as an activity...). I said visualizers would make a dope music video, she suggested doing it with images.

Two weeks later (yesterday), this video comes out.

Mind blown. Life is crazy... and I need to meet Kanye.

New Video: In the Morning - J. Cole feat. Drake

For all the J. Cole fans out there. (... the Drake fans too... I guess..)

New Video: The Break Up Song - Wale / All I Do - Stevie Wonder

Days later, I've finally decided to post this. Mostly because I really like this song. Wale has kinda been annoying me for the last year, but maybe that wouldn't be the case if I wasn't following him on Twitter. Hm...






(You didn't think I could go without posting this, right?!)

New Music: Anything by Musiq Soulchild & Swizz Beatz

Ooo.. Monster Mondays..

Video: The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco

New Video: Be With You - David Banner & 9th Wonder feat. Ludacris & Marsha Ambrosius

David Banner - New Music - More Music Videos

Shout out to UnderGround Charizma for bringing the video to my attention!

Releases to Notice...

RECENT

Mixtape: Friday Night Lights (free download)
Artist: J. Cole
Release date: November 12, 2010
Songs to hear: Blow Up, Higher

Comments: I haven't listened to it... yet! But I've been bumpin Higher and Blow Up for a minute now (Blow Up is the reason why I can sometimes be found mean-muggin when I'm walking around... ha!). Plus, I love J. Cole. And Wale is one of the featured artists. Thus, I predict good things :)

Bonus: peep this article.

Album: The Lady Killer
Artist: Cee-Lo
Release date: November 5, 2010
Singles: F*** You

Comments: Once again... I haven't listened to it yet! I know, I'm being a slacker. But Cee-Lo's a really talented and seasoned artist, so I'm very hopeful. Bonus points: seems like the album's received some great reviews + the F You video is so clever.





















Album: Nothing
Artist: N.E.R.D.
Release date: October 29, 2010
Singles: Hot-n-Fun (feat. Nelly Furtado), Party People, Hypnotize U
Favorites: Perfect Defect, Sacred Temple, Hot-n-Fun

Comments: Well... certainly not their best effort (the reviews don't seem too positive), but I think I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for N.E.R.D. Bottom line - you should listen to it at least twice and then feel free to take it or leave it.




UPCOMING

Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Artist: Kanye West
Scheduled release date: November 22, 2010
Singles: Power (feat. Dwele), Runaway (feat. Pusha T), Monster (feat. Rick Ross, Bon Iver, Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z), All of the Lights (feat.... uh... everyone!)
Favorites: Dark Fantasy, Lost in the World, Runaway, Monster.... okay, basically everything.


Comments: With the advent of GOOD Fridays came a restored excitement/love for Mr. West. But let me just point out that my love never disappeared. Not even during his 808's & Heartbreak days (though I'll admit, I did have to smdh a little bit...). Anyway, when Kanye comes back... he REALLY comes back. A 30+ minute film featuring new dope music? Weekly releases? Great promotional techniques! ... oh, yeah, and good art too :) Anyway, I support this 102%, with a 2% margin of error. Get on the bandwagon, just embrace it.

New Song: Chain Heavy - Kanye West feat. Talib Kweli & Consequence

Download it (and the rest of the Good Friday tracks) for free at www.kanyewest.com/goodfridays

New Song: 1st Time - Talib Kweli feat. Consequence

New Song: Looking for Trouble - Kanye West feat. Pusha T, CyHi the Prynce, Big Sean, & J. Cole)

Download it (and the rest of the Good Friday tracks) for free at www.kanyewest.com/goodfridays

New Video: Runaway - Kanye West

He's really back.


Full Length Film Version (34 minutes)







Video Version (4 minutes)






Also, check youtube.com/KanyeWestVEVO for the extended video version (8 minutes) and the clean full length version (34 minutes).

New Video: Aston Martin Music - Rick Ross feat. Chrisette Michele and Drake

Drake adds a verse (and a little more singing...) - but I ain't mad at it.

New Song: Take One for the Team - Kanye West feat. Keri Hilson, Pusha T, and Cyhi the Prince

[Love it... but did he really have to come at girls who wear Victoria's Secret Love Spell? C'mon son, that used to be my favorite scent in like 8th grade!]


Download it (and the rest of the Good Friday tracks) for free at www.kanyewest.com/goodfridays

New Song: Don't Stop - CRS (Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Pharrell Williams)

Download it (and the rest of the Good Friday tracks) for free at www.kanyewest.com/goodfridays

New Song: Lord Lord Lord - Kanye West ft. Mos Def, Raekwon, and Charlie Wilson

New Song: It Won't Be Long - J. Cole

A current favorite

Favorite Mark Ronson Songs + Video: Bang Bang Bang - Mark Ronson ft. Q-Tip & MNDR

My love for Mark Ronson officially started during my junior year of high school (almost 4 years ago! ah! I'm feeling old...) when I bought (yes.. BOUGHT!) a copy of his second album Version (2007). Then I got his first one Here Comes The Fuzz (2003). And now, I'm hype for his upcoming project, Record Collection (2010).

This video and song are both so dope. Especially because I love Q-Tip too!




Other songs to check out:
 - She's Got Me (with Daniel Merriweather)
- Valerie (with Amy Winehouse)
- Oh My God (with Lily Allen)
- Ooh Wee (with Ghostface Killah, Nate Dogg, Trife, and Saigon)
- Stop Me (with Daniel Merriweather)
- Just (with Alex Grenwald)
- Amy (with Kenna)
- LSF (with Kasabian)
- Anything he produced for Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, or Wale

New Video: Power - Kanye West

Well... I really wish this wasn't the post I'm using to make my comeback, but it's relevant/brand new so I kinda have to do it, right?





I really wanna tag this with a "womp" but for now... I just won't say anything...


*Updated August 6 @ 3:09 pm*

Here's the unedited version (can't decide which one I like better)




Also, I think I've changed my mind. I don't hate it / it's not "womp" worthy. I just wish I had known in advance that it wasn't gonna be a full video. But I guess that's my fault for being out of the real world for most of the summer... Slowly but surely, I'm making my way back in.

Directed by Marco Brambilla, here's a word about the video (thanks UnderGround Charizma!):

"Well, it's a video portrait of Kanye. It starts with a very tight shot introducing him that's kind of a reinvention of a neoclassical painting. It pulls back from the shot, without any cuts, and we reveal the video canvas, populated by all these characters who are depicted in various stages of undress and decadence. The iconography comes from Roman iconography, Renaissance iconography, and it connects to the sexuality of the music as well. As we reveal the setting for it, there's a feeling of a moment of transition for him. A fall from grace, if you will. It visualizes power, and him as the icon as power, and then at the end of the piece it challenges the power that I set up at the beginning. It's an elliptical piece of storytelling:

New Video: All I Want Is You - Miguel feat. J. Cole

So far, my favorite song of 2010... and now there's a video! Yes!