Just letting you guys know (a little late, I know) that we’re on a short break. Check back tomorrow when we’re back with the week’s new releases.
Author: Money Mike
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Vote NO for Young Jeezy’s My President
I hate writing articles that make me sound like I’m not a fan of hip-hop. Because I am. 20 years ago, I was one of those kids with a fresh blank tape, sitting in front of the radio on Friday and Saturday nights to tape the hip-hop shows that played on my local radio station. Hip-hop is as much-maybe even more of-a part of me as any other musical genre in existence.
That said, I’m pretty disgusted with the state of current hip-hop. It’s too profane, too fixated on material items, and the emcees just aren’t talented. There’s no wit involved anymore, no love for wordplay. It’s just some bozo chanting idiotically over a beat, which is what some people think rap was from the get-go. Aside from a handful of artists pushing the genre forward (or keeping it afloat) like Kanye, The Roots, Ghostface, etc., I can take or leave most modern-day hip-hop.
Which brings us to the travesty that is Young Jeezy’s “My President”. I’d managed to successfully avoid this song until inauguration day. I was flipping through channels and saw this video pop up on (of course) BET (amazing that Black Entertainment Television serves up the most degrading and insulting images of black Americans of any television network). First off, I have no time for Young Jeezy as a rapper. He sounds like a crackhead with emphysema. Secondly, what should be a celebratory (or at least pointedly political) song is ruined by the fact that Jeezy seems to have no worldview beyond his little box. “My president’s black/My Lambo’s blue”. Really? And you’re a fucking idiot. Not even a cameo from the usually fairly reliable Nas can save this song from severe hot messitude.
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The New Music Revue 1/20/09: Mix & Match
Welcome to the first new release Tuesday of 2009. While most of the country will be fixated on something FAR more important, there’s no reason you can’t duck out of the inaugural festivities to pop into your local pre-recorded music emporium to check out the new releases. Here’s what’s happenin’:It’s a good week to be indie and somewhat androgynous, as today brings us new releases from Antony & the Johnsons and Andrew Bird. Jam band lovers will get down to Umphrey’s McGee‘s Mantis, while some of the same indie folks who’ll pick up the Bird and Antony releases will wanna dig in to Animal Collective‘s Merriweather Post Pavilion. Jazz vocalist Jane Monheit graces us with a covers album called The Lovers, The Dreamers & Me (also known as the same title R&B singer Alice Smith gave her album three or so years ago), and AmIdol fanatics will rejoice (or throw up in their mouths) because Sanjaya Malakar makes his debut with an EP only available through amazon.com called Dancing to the Music in My Head.
With Valentine’s Day approaching, the love songs compilations are going to start arriving fast and furious. Sony Music is unleashing a new ballads-themed series called From the Heart, and the first set of releases in this series come from a wide range of artists including Air Supply, Billie Holiday and Miles Davis. Speaking of Miles, a deluxe reissue of Kind of Blue hits stores today, as does a double-disc love songs set from Frank Sinatra. Thom Yorke‘s The Eraser gets the album-length remix treatment today, and finally, Mariah Carey gets her own ballads collection, featuring many of her best known hits-and no rapper cameos!!
Happy shopping & Happy inauguration day!!
Oh, get yer full list of new releases here.