natural chick spotlight : corrine bailey rae

ms. corrine bailey rae looks absolutely fantastic in her new video for the stepper's jam "closer"-- her hair looks rather fab as well. shout-out to all my natural sistahs out there. ;-)

☮ and ♥, 

-*csc.

new sounds: "power" - kanye west feat. dwele

all i gotta say is, Chi-Town stand up - your son is back.


-*csc.

visually appealling : "hello, good morning" - dirty money feat. t.i. & rick ross

So here's the heavily anticipated video from Diddy & Dirty Money feat. T.I. & Rick Ross. After watching the video with a keen eye once, I noticed some thumbs up and thumbs down. Are you ready? Ok, go...

Likes:
*The Buggati - As many times this car was just making cameos in the video, I thought it was a commercial for the whip, but #lowkey I felt like I was riding shot gun with Diddy the whole time.

*T.I. - OHEMGEE, that smile?! his rhymes?! The KING is back! I can't wait for him to drop his album, whenever it comes out this year. He makes the track, hands down. Clap, clap for Diddy on getting that right. 

Dislikes:
*Rick Ross - ok, shorty really didn't have to be in the video or on the track for that matter. I like the song just featuring T.I. I'm not hating, i'm just saying.

*The last 1:30 of the video: the fireworks, the circle stage, the Dirty Money duo dancing in the background...I felt like I stepped back into 1996 with the 'Mo Money, Mo Problems' video, the only thing that was missing was the shiny suits. The way that Diddy was spinning around stage makes me thing that he's still stuck in that era. It's ok to let it go boo, thanks.

*Flashing images - this is like the second video i've seen with that flashing image between two shots. i'm no TRF major, so I don't know the effect it's trying to give, but it's giving me a headache.

Other than that, I plan on cranking the song all summer, how about you?

-*csc.

new sounds : "find your love" - drake

the more songs that are leaked, the more excited I get about his album.

and he would want to perform this on friday @ block party. =)


download "find your love" by drizzy, produced by chi-town's son kanye west.


DOWNLOAD: Drake - "Find Your Love"

-*csc.

artist spotlight : pj morton

i love R&B music. the first time i heard this artist's music was when i went to visit my cousin in washington, d.c. last spring. i literally fell in love with his rendition of the "cheers" theme song, and from that moment, i knew that this had to be an artist i needed to hear more from.

PJ Morton, an r&b/neo-soul artist from new orleans, la. has an impeccable sound that i haven't heard in a long time, and i must say he is a raw talent that has been missing from the r&b game. he describes his music as, " feel good music that lyrically tells stories about life and love music that makes your heart think and coins his style of music, soulful pop" (http://www.myspace.com/pjmorton). 

his newest release, "walk alone" has a variety of sounds, but i would definitely agree with him that it does make you feel good. from r&b, pop, to gospel, listening to his voice just really warms my heart and its truly a blessing to hear his story through his music. 

his album is one of those records that you can just listen to from beginning to end. some of my favorite tracks include "walk alone", "don't ever leave", "girlfriend", and "love you more" feat. tweet. his rendition of "let go" by dewayne woods that he sings with his father bishop pj morton, sr. totally pays respect to his "son of a preacher man" background, which i admire and respect.  

check out his website, follow him on twitter and try to catch him on tour!

http://pjmortononline.com/Site/

http://twitter.com/thepjmorton



-*csc. 

visually appealing : kayne west - coldest winter

"if spring can take the snow away, can it melt away all our mistakes?"


in my opinion, 8o8s & Heartbreak is one of 'Ye's realest albums to date, and this track really spoke to me when it was first released back in november 2oo8.

check out the video below. it gives me a kind of sleepy hollow mixed with the blair witch project feel, and although west is no where in the video, the graphics and visuals are DOPETASTIC. 

there are obviously several metaphors that represent kanye's life at that point and time, and i think that he has artistically expressed them here perfectly. 

 
KANYE WEST "Coldest Winter" Directed by: NABIL  "ITUNES link below" from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

-*csc. 

new sounds : "we are the world 25"

as you all know, the epic song "we are the world" that was written by the late great king of pop michael jackson, quincy jones and lionel richie has turned twenty-five years old this year, and in honor of its anniversary, as well as to create awareness for the tragic situation that has devastated haiti, various artists donated their time and their talents the day after the grammy awards to make this song.

soo many talented artists: jamie foxx, celine dion, jennifer hudon, usher, pink, kanye west, mary mary, ll cool j...i could go on and on. they actually did a fantastic job, and the video is super dope because it includes MJ. <3

check out the song below and tell me what you think!




-*csc.

little drummer boy : steph jones

happy holidays everyone!

it feels SO good to be back home in the windy city for the holidays. i'm doing my best to relax and rest before i head back to the 'cuse for another tedious semester. but to get everyone into the christmas spirit, steph jones has released his own version of the holiday classic, "little drummer boy". i absolutely love steph jones as an artist, and i think that he has a very unique flavor that he is bringing to the r&b game.

check out the video that features cameos from pop sensation jordin sparks & socialite b. scott.

merry christmas everyone, & i'll be sure to holla back before the new year!







-*csc.

visually appealing : kid cudi - pursuit of happiness

"if i fall, if i die - know i lived it to the fullest -- if i fall, if i die - know i lived & missed some bullets..."

i don't even have to go into the reasons why i love cudder so much, but i totally *one day soon* want to sit around a table with my friends just poppin' bottles of champagne because we can. but ultimately, we are all on that journey to happiness in life, but as kid cudi shows in the video, all that glitters is not gold. the video is SUPER dope with special effects to (josh hartness directed the video - clap for him.)

word to drake & jake gyllehaal for making cameos in the video. i can't wait to see this dude perform live in concert! :)


-*csc.

new sounds : "graffiti" by chris brown

[**note: the last week of classes was a little rough on a sista, so pardon my lateness on this post.]

this has been a highly anticipated album since the whole chrihanna incident, and i must say that chris does not disappoint. his sound is much more mature, and while there are so tracks on the album that seem to explicitly describe his recent heartbreak, he does a wonderful job of staying true himself and showing that he is in the process of healing. vocally, chris has impressively improved, and the content of his songs are exactly what i would expect to hear from a 20-something transitioning from being boyhood to manhood. i haven't been able to take this album off shuffle since downloading it last week (yup, somewhat exclusive - ha)

favorite cuts:

"crawl" - this is the second single off of the album that he's already put the video out featuring R&B chick cassie. clearly, this is about his recent highly publicized break-up, but the way that the song is written, it conveys the message of hope and no matter how many times we fall, we can always dust ourselves of & start over.

line for line --"if we crawl, till we can walk again; then we'll run until we're strong enough to jump--then we'll fly until there is no end, so lets crawl, back to love."

"famous girl" - an upbeat joint, brown describes this "famous girl" by using different song titles from artists like beyonce, keyshia cole, drake and even his old flame rihanna. while he points our her flaws about being famous, he also points out the fact that being famous doesn't guard him from being a heart breaker too. chris even takes shots at the bloggers in this joint, already anticipating that they're gonna dissect word for word of the song. i've heard a lot of people humming this joint across campus in the past few days, and i must say it is a very cute song that is radio-worthy.

line for line -- "keri would’ve said my love knocks her down, keyshia would’ve told me I was sent from heaven; sorry bey I don’t wear no halo--you were first to play the game though; sorry I bust the windows of your car..."

"take my time feat. tank" --true to heart R&B slow jam that features an R&B hottie that we haven't heard from in a minute. i was sooo surprised to hear tank's voice on this track, but at the same time very impressed because their voices fit perfectly. producers 'tha business' did the darn thing on this song *fans self*. in this track, an all-grown-up chris talks about being able to please his girl in the bedroom [which could make any girl go crazy]. i would say this is "take you down" turned up about six notches and i'm sure when he performs this in concert, the girls will go just as crazy as they did with that joint. muy caliente chico ;-)

line for line--"i got your back up against the wall, i've got strength won't let you fall --when i make you bloom like a flower babe..."

overall, i would rate this album a solid 4.3 out of 5 stars. chris does some experimentation on some tracks with techno-like sounds, but nevertheless it's still the same sound that we've experienced on his previous albums. after all that he's been through this year, i must say that he's shown a lot of maturity and his music is more than enough proof for that.

-*csc.

brand new flavor for ya ear : urbanears

"the plattan" headphones, $60

"the tanto" headphones, $40

these have to be some of the simplest, yet attractive set of headphones i've seen in a while. the ear buds that Apple provides for their iPods were cool at first, but they can be awfully annoying to put in your ears time and time again.

with urbanears you have a choice of 'the tanto' or 'the plattan' headphones, both which are very stylish and come in a variety of bright colors.

'the tanto' headphones run for about $40, and 'the plattan' headphones run $60. both can be found at http://www.karmaloop.com/.

this would be a great christmas gift for the music lover(s) in your life <3


-*csc.

new sounds : "the first flight" by diggy simmons

so if i were 15, i would TOTALLY try to get @ Digg - his swag is ridiculously crazy! *lol*

any way, daniel 'diggy' simmons as everyone knows is the son of rev. run & justine of mtv's "run's house" and he has now burst on the scene with his first mixtape titled "the first flight'. i knew that dig wanted to break into the fashion industry from watching episodes of the show, but i had NO CLUE that he could rhyme.

favorite cuts:

"point to prove" - the first single released of the mixtape which talks about how even though he comes from a legacy of hip-hop royalty, this young chap has to show everyone who he is, regardless of his famous roots.
"laid back" - this track talks about how he's trying to holla at a young ya-dig, but rapperes chris classic & mike charles reassure diggy that he's got all the time in the world for the girls, and he should really just focus on himself & living the life of a teenager.

with eleven other tracks, diggy really has something going. i'm excited to see where he takes his rapping and fashion career. unlike his older brother jojo, who started the group "team blackout" *where they at?* diggy is blazing his own trail and talking about his experiences as a 15 year old boy - which just makes the mixtape so much more commendable and enjoyable to listen.

i rate this mixtape 4 out of 5 stars - this dude is about to blow up and everybody better get ready. check out a free download from datpiff here : http://www.datpiff.com/Dj_Spin_King_Diggy_The_First_Flight.m82094.html


-*csc.

crawl - chris brown

every now and then, there comes a song that surfaces that has not only a good message, but is very inspirational. i'm the type of person that sees art in music. . .the art of dance that is. i absolutely adore chris' new song and have been inspired to create some type of movement to it. i'm not too sure when i will have time, but i know that a seed has been planted - maybe this dream will come to life march 2011?

who knows. but until then, enjoy the song & let me know what you think of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHApE_WyQiQ

-*csc.

lovely day - bill withers

it's the beginning of november and it's 71 degrees outside....

bill withers soothing voice just lights up insides this morning. while he is talking about his significant other, i'm taking it as me looking in the mirror this morning and telling myself, "today is going to be a lovely day."

i think we can sometimes get so caught up in the tests, quizzes, projects, deadlines, work study jobs, internships and millions of other things that we as college students and working individuals tend to worry about on a daily basis. but i personally feel that it is essential to take time out of your day just to have a calming moment with yourself amongst the chaos. back in the day *maybe about three or four years ago* i would literally drive myself insane if i had seven million things to do on my list for the day. i wouldn't eat or sleep properly, and i would bite the head off of any individual that would come my way.

but fast forward three years and several college credits later, i find myself prioritizing much more adequately and finding time to make ME happy. i love college, and all that fun, craziness and rachetness that sometimes comes with it. but at the end of the day, if i'm not falling asleep with a smile on my face and thankful to God for bringing me thru yet another day - then there is terribly something wrong.

i'm at the point where i want to get back to the simplicities of life - having a good conversation with a friend, reading a good book, writing a journal entry & having the music take me away.

my goal is to have moments like this at least 5 times a week, or more.

continue to live for what makes your heart beat everyday - be happy & spread that joy to others.

peace, love & happiness.

-*csc.

so just pull the trigger : "russian roulette"

hello loves!

i hope that everyone has had a great week. so, if you haven't already heard it, i'm gonna talk about it because i think that this record is bananas - it's awfully deep too.

rihanna released the first single off her much anticipated album "rated r" that drops 11.23.09. now usually, i wouldn't be the hyped for a rihanna album, seeing as though i really wasn't a big fan of her when she came out back in 'o5, but ne-yo & chuck harmony produced the hell out of this joint and to them, i give madd props. people were saying that it has a demonic message, but honestly, i don't see anything demonic about this song. while the title may be disturbing to some, i think the song has a deeper message of how sometimes in life, we have to take risks and chances, hoping to God that when we "pull the trigger", a bullet is not released from that chamber.

i can't wait to see the style that rihanna is bring forth on this next album and i will be sure to review it once it comes out. seeing all that she's been through in the past eight months and how she hasn't said a word about the situation to the press, i think it was wise of her to let her music do the talking.

check out the song below & ri-ri, keep doin' ya thang mama.



love.peace&happiness,

-*csc

Meet Passion <3

I love when one of my followers on Twitter tweets about an artist they have found on YouTube. And it's rather encouraging when the artist is singing about positive things. Meet Jeremy (aka Passion). He has a number of videos posted on YouTube singing covers of R&B songs, but if you take a trip to his MySpace page, he also has a number of original songs that he has composed himself that are inspirational pieces. I love discovering new music, and since it is #musicmonday on Twitter, I thought that it would only be right to share this with my friends.

Below is one of his original songs "Lemondade". Check Passion out on his MySpace page and YouTube channel.


*Passion on Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/listen2passion


*Passion on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/passionsf?blend=1&ob=4

*csc.

Don't Call it a Comeback....

I'm so glad that there is now such a quick turn around for episodes of television shows to be put on the internet. I watched both part one & two of Whitney Houston's interview with Oprah (via necolebitchie.com) and I must say that Whitney is story is both compelling, heart wrenching and inspiring. It is truly amazing how God has worked in her life and it just further encourages me to keep living my dreams and no matter what road that we may travel, God will always be there to protect us and lead us not into that temptation. And even when we may fall into those traps, He is always there to deliver us from the evils of this world. I am soo glad that Mama Whit-Whit is back!!!

Check out her new video, "Million Dollar Bill", which was produced by the talented Alicia Keys. It's sooo classic Whitney, i love it.



-*csc.

*untitled*

I've totally be neglecting my blog, but the school year has kicked in full force and I can only anticipate the weekend. I've been thinking what spin I could take on my blog; if I just wanted to focus on certain aspects like fashion, music, or art - but i think i'm just gonna keep it the way that it is a focus on it all. Today, I heard one of my favorite artist's new joint, and let me just say that I cannot wait until this young lady drops her new LP. She did her thang at the VMAs the other evening (sans being interrupted by someone on stage during her performance - *rolls eyes*) but it's all good! Her red carpet look was also very stunning. i hope that my school gets wise enough to throw out the bread to bring her for MayFest ;-)

Check out Alicia Keys' new single, "Doesn't Mean Anything"

Welcome Back-Lesson #1:Musicality

So today was the official first day of my junior year - and i must say, that it went pretty well. I've been blessed to have a really good schedule this semester, and I just can't wait to see the amazing things that God has in store for me, my classmates, family, and friends this upcoming semester. With this being the start of the semester and all, I've decided to devote this week to things that we call could use to bring in this new school year right *besides always keeping G-O-D first of course, lol :)*

Here are a few cool back-to-school music essentials that I think will have you rockin' all semester long:



*this is THEE dopest commercial i've ever seen & Blueprint 3 is a raw album, period. The album officially drops September 11th, 2009.




*"ready" officially dropped today, and I must say, Tremaine has truly put his heart and soul into this album. I just appreciate his growth and maturity soo much, and his vocals have really become much stronger. "One Love" is one of my faves. :)

Other releases include Whitney Houston's "I Look to You" and Colbie Caillat's "Breakthrough". I'll be highlighting several other albums as they drop, but these are vital to purchase and or download.

Start taking notes ladies & gents, class is now in session.

-*csc.

What You Do - Chrisette Michele

Music Videos - Video Playlists - New Music



This the latest jam from one of my fave r&b songstresses *i've seen her live twice and she KILLED it!* It features another of one my fave R&B singer's Ne-Yo. I love the song, and the video is simple, and includes a cameo from that fine piece of thang Pooch Hall *aka Derwin Davis from The Game*. Check it out, and lemme know what you think :)

<3 csc.