Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!!!
From www.stopsellingdreams.com and Ivan S. Harris Photography

Fabolous - Beauty Feat Wale (Audio)

I know we all tend to get wrapped up within our daily routine, but right now I want you to take time out of this day to find beauty, or start a new special trend or at least appreciate your surroundings.  

The reason?  

Well, unless you've been under a rock, then you should know today is 12-12-12, the last same digit day that we will see in our lifetime.

With that said, I leave you with a track from Fabolous' The Soul Tape 2, called Beauty featuring Wale.

Beauty comes in many forms.  Find beauty today 12-12-12.

JAMES BROWN & 2PAC – UNCHAINED (THE PAYBACK/UNTOUCHABLE) Audio

 

Quentin Tarantino, one of my 5 film director inspirations, has done it again with DJango Unchained.  DJango (the D is silent) is a film about a slave-turned-bounty hunter who sets out to rescue his wife after she is kidnapped.

To me, being a film director means having control and being in control I think you have a say in which music makes the official soundtrack for your film.

I myself have been doing short films for 4 weeks now (nothing on the level of ANY amateur or pro director, but you have to start somewhere) and each week I encounter something new that inspires me to want to continue on my new film journey.

As I grow to become a true director and not just a passionate wanna be, I intend to have creative control of my films, which means even if its not personally handpicked, I still want to have a say in the music that is chosen, just as I'm sure Mr. Tarantino has done for DJango.

The first single for the soundtrack has been released and its definitely provocative because the people are talking.   Unchained (The Payback/Untouchable) is a fresh new blend on an old school sound mixing vocals from the legendary rapper 2Pac's song Untouchable and none other than the Godfather of Soul James Brown's anthem Big Payback.

This blend is super creative in the sense of who would have thought to put these two legends together for a song, let alone use it as the lead single for a new movie.  Two words.  "Bold statement."  I love this track Unchained for the sheer engineering/production aspect alone.

Although Mr. Brown and Mr. Shakur are no longer with us, their music will live on forever and now with the addition of this posthumous remix, forever is a mighty long time because forever now includes...the afterworld.

T.I. - Sorry Feat Andre 3000

T.I.'s forth coming album entitled Trouble Man is coming soon, until then, hopefully this track Sorry featuring Andre 3000 should hold all of us southern lyricist fans over.

Rihanna - Diamonds (Remix) Feat Kanye West (Audio)

Perfect Timing.  Perfect song.  Perfect time to start blogging again.  I can always tell when its November (Scorpio Season and My birthday) by my luck seeming to fall my way, like that one time bumping into Usher's Uncle for Tickets to the concert, but I digress.

I think Kanye West and Rihanna must have seen my TRILLION tweets Begging for this remix.  Or maybe not because I did ask for Jay as well.  I thought the THREE of them together ran the town? Oh well.  Beggers can't be choosers.

T.I. - Love This Life (Official Video)

Its the King...

T.I. is back with his first video from the Trouble Man forth coming LP.  I personally like this song and think the video is a great compliment to a great track.  


This video also reminds me that if you really want the best things, work harder to go get them.  Plain and simple.  


In retrospect, sometimes people get caught up with the green pastures in the other yard and want what they think are "better" things, but the truth is they should always appreciate, value and cherish their own life first while working towards their goal.


My Dad always says, value what you have.  In the journey to find better, you may find the life you already had was what you always wanted anyway.

NBA Finals: Let's Get Ready To Rumble!!

Everything happens for a reason.  Check out Kevin Durant and Lebron James working out together during the NBA Lock Out.

This year's NBA Finals pits the 2012 NBA Scoring Champ, Kevin Durant against the 2012 NBA's Most Valuable Player, Lebron James.  This historic matchup it the first time the scoring champ has faced the MVP in the Finals since Michael Jordan played Karl Malone in 1997.

I think we all know how that went down.

The question is, who will be crowned the NEW King of NBA?

OKC Thunder Vs. Miami Heat.

What are your Predictions???

Nas - Daughters (Official Video)

Unfortunately, hip hop is vastly lacking when it comes to upbeat intellectual songs nowadays.

Leave it up to Nas to change the norm once again with his new track "Daughters."

Not your average single, but then again, Nas has  never been your average rapper.

Check out the new video and tell us what you think!

Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chainz and Kanye West - Mercy (Official Video)

Most rappers taste level ain't at my waist level...

No Church In The Wild - Video Review?

Since being released earlier this week, the video for "No Church In The Wild" has caused major uproar, mainly because it doesn't feature Jay Z or Kanye West anywhere during the five minute plus timeframe.

Instead, it seems to represent an underlying theme that is becoming more and more prevalent in the music they've made together recently:

                          question religion, humanity, and everything surrounding it.

Directed by Romain Gavras, this video is extremely political and controversial, and quite frankly I could probably write a 20 page essay examining the theories/ opinions surrounding this detailed piece of art, but I'll keep it simple and summarize the main points that come to mind.

The video opens with a man holding a Molotov cocktail in his hand, it's apparent there's many supporters willing to fight this war with him.

 He then launches the flaming bottle at a barricade of police, and a riot ensues.

Jay Z's verse has the eerie lines:

"lies on the lips of a priest/ Thanksgiving disguised as a feast..."

Then he goes on to ask:

 "Is Pious pious cause God loves pious? 

Which seems to reiterate the ongoing "myth" that Jay Z doesn't believe in man made religions, some go as far to say he's involved with the Illuminati.

 Interestingly enough he compares himself to a God at the end of the verse:

"Jesus was a carpenter, Yeezy he laid beats/ Hova flow the Holy Ghost, get the hell up out your seats, PREACH" 

During the mayhem, clips are constantly shown of Greek God Statues, and as the riot in the video displays more violence, the statues are shown covering their eyes, almost as if to say "not even Gods can support this madness anymore."

On the back of one of the helmets belonging to a riot team member, is P94, which ironically enough can be quickly translated to Precinct 94 in Brooklyn, NY, fairly close to where Jay Z grew up and also well known for having the Pope visit in the mid 70s.

Following his visit, a street next to the precinct was named after him.

In the video, the rioters are fighting against the "enforcers" who are wearing P94 helmets quite often.

Why the number, there's got to be some significance behind it right?

Is this another "not so hidden" symbol blatantly denouncing government/ religion as a whole?
 
Kanye's lyrics go further into detail concerning the possible formation of "a new religion," and the destruction of religions as our society understands them.

"We formed a new religion, no sins as long as there's permission/ and deception is the only felony." 

The new religion seems to be centered on subjective reality, the idea that everything is ego driven, or in other words, each person should embrace his/ her beliefs and that's all that really matters. (research Thomas Nagel if you want further detail)

What do you think this video represents? Am I reading too far into the lines? Does Jay Z really think he's God or a God? Has he completely lost faith in our society and government regulations?

Or is he simply leaving a bunch of "clues" out there for fans like myself to purposely discover?

Being the keen business man Jigga's shown to be, knowing that drama sells, and will continue to in the foreseeable future?

I'll stop selling dreams now and let everybody formulate their own opinion........ enjoy the video.