Lauryn Hill

I liked how 'The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill' incorporated soul, hip hop and rap into one. Especially with the single Doo Woop(That Thing). I like her lyricism because it's written in a casual yet harsh tone. Like how she tells the guys to step up their game. The chorus sells it for me because the melody and harmony blends in so great.

Plus this video probably had to be mind-blowing in 1998 but now it's pretty meh. Still cool though.

Saturday Cartoon Slow Jams

There's this guy named Scott Bradlee who takes well-known music and turns them into soulful piece of art.
One of my favorite rendition that he did so far is turning the 1980's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into a R&B vibe.

 He also did a Ducktales slow jam as well.

Broadway Idiot

So it has been a long time since I've listened to Green Day and this documentary sort of, well, rekindled the lost flame of Green Day. I loved how Billy Armstrong was so cool with the musical because it was best idea ever. Turning a rock album into musical? GENIUS. It reminds of how they tried to do a Spider-Man musical but it turned out bad from reviews. Not Broadway Idiot though, it's nice.

I remember in the documentary when the cast sang "Last Night On Earth" to the band, and they were fascinated by it. I like the harmony that they did plus I'm a sucker for slow songs so this song hits home to me. If I had a chance to watch the musical, I would take in within a heartbeat. Did I use that phrase right? Doesn't matter, all that matter is good music anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vovwrHyxO9E

Jamie Foxx: ESPN and Jimmy Fallon

I recommend watching these videos for a good laugh. The type of laugh you will experience is nothing you ever experienced.

Jamie Foxx shown the world how talented his comedic act, baby smooth voice and hit mainstream when he played Ray Charles in the movie "Ray" and he still continues to amaze people with recent movies such as Django Unchained and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Although he stuck with acting over the years, these two videos shows he is capable of doing anything as an entertainer.

Muscle Shoals

Muscle Shoals is a 2013 documentary about Fame Studios and the artist from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. This documentary blew my mind. I didn't know so many R&B hits were from here. It's good to know the origins of the best. Well, some of the best. The best is R.Kelly. Why? Because there's nothing wrong with a little bit bump and grind.

My initial reaction about Rick Hall's life was... wow. There is so much tragedy in this guy's life. His little brother who was 3 years old died from a boiling hot water ditch, his first wife died from a car crash, he lost his job because he was a workaholic, his dad died because the tractor flipped, and he lost his band to a friend-then rival company. But he still pushed on through. Despite the hardships and hardaches, he pushes on through ,and receives and gives hits after hits after hits. That's dedication and that inspires people. Good job Rick Halls, good job.

Love Never Felt So Good

Love Never Felt So Good is a new single from Michael Jackson's second posthumous album. The story behind this is that Michael Jackson recorded many songs but some didn't make the cut so he put them in a vault to later review them again then work on the songs some more. There are two versions of this song; one with MJ only and the second with Justin Timberlake. I love the only Michael version! It was a unreleased track from the early 80s and honestly, it should have been on the 'Thriller' album.

However, there are many people on the internet that disagree with releasing this track. One reason is that Michael Jackson is a perfectionist. He didn't release a track or album until he was completely satisfied with it. Like how even though Thriller was close to the release date, he went back in the studio and mixed it again. So some believe releasing this track is disrespectful in his works. The other reason is that Justin Timberlake's caller-response in the song annoyed people.

Despite what people say, I love both of them and even though he's gone, his legacy continues on.

Breakfast Can Wait

Yes I know this is Dave Chappelle.

Yeah, you know by the title you can already guess what kind of song this is going to be. A baby-making song. A baby-making song by Prince. Prince making babies with this song. This song makes babies after you're done listening to it. Literally.

All jokes(?) aside, I really like this song. It has a nice rhythm to it to dance to. But to be honest, is there any type of songs you can't dance too? Headbanging technically counts as a dance move(for metal fans or something like that). I love how the person directing this video is a 18 year old girl named Danielle Curiel. Yeah, the main girl in the video is only 18. I thought she would be at least in her mid 20s because well.. it's a song about ****ing in the morning. It's a good song to listen to when you know.. doing it in the morning.

Pearl Jam Twenty

Pearl Jam Twenty is a 2011 documentary about Pearl Jam that shows the history of the band. I don't know why it's called 'Pearl Jam Twenty'. My guess is that it came out during the band's anniversary. This isn't going to be a review of the documentary but rather my opinion about it. So basically the same thing but less professional.

I like this documentary because it introduces me to grunge music. It was fun watching how Pearl Jam came to be. For example, the documentary showed how Eddie Venner was a shy guy at first but through the years he becomes more confident and proud of who he is. I like seeing that development in films because it gives me a sense of growth and accomplishment. But damn, Eddie Venner can SAAAANG. He has this harsh tone in his voice that makes him intimidating but at the same time, he also has a soft sound that makes you remember about playing sports with your dad and cry about it. My favorite song so far by them is "Daughter". It's a good documentary to check out, 4 1/2 Stars. I didn't give it 5 because there were some parts that bothered me... Like drugs. And death.

ACL Lineup 2014

This may be the only time I care about a concert I take little interest in. I might actually go this year. I'm really excited for Childish Gambino! I've seen videos of him performing in other concerts and his upbeat charisma attracts people like dust and mold. Gross simile, great sentence. I also would like to see  how Eminem is live because in his studio tracks, he is a MONSTER. I might check out Lana Del Rey as well while I'm there. Check out... If you know what I mean.

I don't know what to expect from this music festival because I never been to one. Yeah, pretty bad for someone who's been living in Austin for 15 years. But maybe because standing there and listening to live music isn't really my thing. I would rather perform. Based on the stories I heard, ACL is a place where people listen to live music and get high. So I hoping if I do go, I'll be a fan of some other people's music and be sober. Because that's always the way to go right?

Jhené Aiko

Jhene Aiko had a slow start in the beginning of her career(Like most artist..Except Justin Bieber) because she was mainly a supportive character for another band called B2K. But nobody knows who B2K is anymore. Now is the Era of Aiko. Aiko has this gentle voice that blends perfectly into hip-hop songs. Her songs are soothing and pleasing to the ear despite the harsh lyrics. For example, her song "The Worst" is a song about a man who cheated?/did-her-wrong. Though the lyrics are there, it's the type of song you vibe to when you're feeling down.

Or if you're feeling happy and going about your day like there's no tomorrow, her song Bed Peace is a fun song to listen to. 

The Art Of Rap

The Art Of Rap

Something from Nothing

Directed by Ice-T, shows the art of rap from nothing to something. Yeah, the title defines pretty much everything and there's not much more that I can do to explain it.

I WILL, however, share my opinion about it because it's important.. Right? 

I personally like this documentary because it shows the creativity, commitment, and passion from rap artist and their stories of how they began. You would think most rap artist are stuck-up, rude and douchey but this document shows what they love about rap. Every moment of the film is filled with charisma and authenticity. IT'S GREAT! Plus the free-styles are mind-blowing. You'll be like "What?! How can he rhyme this with this when it doesn't even rhyme it but he made it rhyme? If I had a dime every time they rhyme...." I couldn't think of anything else to rhyme with.

20 ft From Stardom

Some time ago, I watched a documentary about back-up singers called '20 ft From Stardom'. And I really liked it. In this documentary, we get to see into the lives of back-up singers with their struggles, redemption and success. A noticeable moment in the film is when they talked about monster power-house singer Lisa Fisher and her career as an solo artist. In her prime she was just... Wow. Her vocals are incredible.

Not only does this documentary inspired me but when I was watching it, I imagined myself as a backup singer rising to stardom. This documentary is a must watch to does who love vocals, R&B and quality music.

Wu-Tang Clan

When I first heard about Wu-Tang, I thought it was a type of martial arts. Little did I know, it was actually a rap group that consists primarily of black people from New York. I like Wu-Tang Clan though. What I like about them is their nice beats and flow. Also there is a movie called "Man with the Iron Fist" and features RZA in it. I haven't seen it but the trailer looked pretty cool. I however cannot name a specific song that I like because I don't know the names. Although I cannot name a specific song, the album that I listened to was Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). I recommend listening to Wu-Tang when you're in a car with the bass turned all the way up.

NWA

I've heard so many kids talk about NWA and I had no idea it was a music group. I thought they were just quoting stuff from the movie Boyz N the Hood. Oddly enough, Ice Cube, one of the members of NWA, is featured in that movie. Huh.
NWA's music is the definition of every gangster movie combined to make one sweet baby. Juice, Boyz N The Hood, Are we there yet?, ETC. They're music is rough and it's more realistic than most music of today. For example, Straight Outta Compton. Notice how the title of the song has the word "Outta". It's not slang, it is because Compton doesn't have the proper school education and textbooks to work on grammar. That's why they used "Outta". Because They straight "OUT OF" Compton.
Anyway, their music is good to pump some iron with because it has that vibe of preparing a inevitable fate that you can't go back to. Like Are we there Yet.

Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello is the most badass singer ever to be booked down on history. His style is so rebellious that it can influence the weak-willed and make a man out of them. One moment in mind is the time he was suppose to perform a certain song in SNL but stopped in the first 30 seconds and played another song.

My favorite song from him by far (because it's the only song I know from him) is God Give Me Strength. I like his vocals because it gives this feeling of Strength and redemption.

Rhyme And Punishment

In our music history class, we watched a documentary about rappers doing time for their crime. In the movie, what I found most interesting is the story behind Big Lurch's imprisonment. The story behind Big Lurch is that he's a normal Texas dude named Antron Singleton making a career with music. However, when a drunk driver hit him in September 16. 2000, he depended on PCP to ease his pains. His "homies" would take the opportunities to plot the murder of  Tynisha Ysais. On April 2002, Big Lurch "murdered"  Tynisha Ysais in her apartment in Los Angeles. Her chest was torn apart and a knife broken on her shoulder blade. He was sentenced to life in prison. BUT the biggest plot twist is when evidence would later provide that the hand-print on the knife didn't match his. It's just a crazy situation on who did what. It's interesting because it's still a mystery still waiting to be solved.

This Dude

Why am I always so late?

Anyway, during our class discussion on Thursday, Mr.A mentioned how Anton dissed almost the entire class due to their music taste. I could agree, I had no idea what I was listening to because almost everybody played rap. But this dude's blog is great!

"I especially hated anything that Christian had played, and I don't know how anyone can listen to it without stabbing their ears out because it is god awful."-Anton Wesley

 Slow claps for you man, slow claps for you.

AY YO DJ! TURN THAT **** UP!

Our teacher Mr. A said that at one point in time, all the students will start blogging about the same thing. That happened to be last week. And for some reason, I'm always late to the party. Last week in class, each of us had to share 2 songs for a total of 8 minutes to the class. And although there were "variety" in this class, I did not remember a single thing that day. Maybe it's because almost everybody played rap. The only thing I remembered was Anton's song, which was pretty good. That and this one dude's song that had a white guy singing about NWA and near the end of the song, the guy started using Blackbird's guitar melody and put his own lyrics into it. It was hilarious. At the end of the day, I had no idea what was going on.

Ice Cube

OOHHHH the endless memes with Ice Cube.

Anway, this week my classmate played Ice Cube's "Today was A Good Day" as part of our assignment. WOOOH what a broad sense of vocabulary in this song. Despite the language in the song, I really like this song. The smooth drum and guitar melody  made my day. It made remember what rap was kind of like back then. Ice Cube's flow wasn't too bad either. It's really old school, and it is nothing like any rap music today, which is more loud and upbeat with rappers saying stuff but we can barely understand them (AKA Future, Lil Wayne).
I recommend listening to it if you're haveing a good day

ps. I like how Ice Cube turned from thug to Child-Friendly Actor.

Tyler the Creator

When my friends showed me Tyler the Creator a while back in 2011, I was like "Dang... this guy is crazy".  He's a pretty good rapper in my opinion, better than most rappers in this generation. I think he's good because of his lyrics and his beats aren't too bad either. MOST of the time, his lyrics is good, other times it's just vulgar. He's one song that I enjoy listening to is IFHY. The slow organ in the background with this weird kick drum thing is great. Video is weird though, and lots of uhhhh colorful vocabulary.

Patti Smith

My classmates and I were shown Pattis Smith and her whiny voice as a lesson of "punk". Like the previous blog about the Ramones, Punk is not about the stile of clothes your wear, not the hair style you rock, not about how many piercings you have but The Press criticizing the bands or artist for their rebellious behavior. And I guess you could include Patti Smith as a punk because her voices does not do her justice. PLUS her Google picture is provocative. Seriously, search Patti Smith in Google and look to the right and you will see Patti Smith with a see through top. No bueno but somehow, it's still all bueno. I wasn't enjoying her music because its sounds like a jumbled load of whines. It's like a mix of strawberries and avocados but the main ingredient is soylent for the smoothie. 

Red Hot Chili Peppers Scammin' The Public

I didn't find Beyonce lip-syncing America's National Anthem offensive, because singing in the cold strains the vocal cords and her performance would not have been great. Red Hot Chili Peppers cheating on the people with unplugged guitars is a OKAY. They put on a great show and people should remember it as just that. However, I do understand why people are arguably mad about it. They want a REAL show, and they feel cheated. BUT what kind of person buys a Superbowl ticket for the half-time show and not the game? Nobody. Nobody goes to Subway and orders a burger with a super-sized soda, Nobody goes to Taco Bell and orders a chicken sandwich, Nobody goes to McDonald's and ask them for a quality food. They're there for the main dish, not the side dish.

The Ramones

The Ramones were an American Punk band that was formed in The Queens of New York of New York City, New York. Yeah  I know, confusing right? I was introduced to this band as a lesson of what punk was during their time. I've learned that it wasn't the music that was punk, but their behavior that was written about by journalist.  I was surprised to learned that they made the song 'Hey Ho', unknowing that this loud, annoying, took-some-trashcans-and-pots-from-the-streets-and-banged-them-together band wrote the song. By the end of the day, my head was hurting from the distorted guitar and loud ruckus of a drum. This type of music isn't really for me.

Michael friggin Jackson

Around the time when Michael Jackson died, I felt no sympathy at all. All I remembered saying that day was "Aww, that sucks". I knew very little of him and he didn't really impacted my life. From what I heard, he was a great singer, he turned black to white, and he was charged for molesting a kid(which I didn't think he did by the way. Look it up, the family that sued was greedy, Chris Tucker PERSONALLY knew they were trouble, told him not the trust them, but eventually, Michael got robbed by them. Of trust and money. Mainly money.)

Funny thing is, during the day of his funeral, something weird happen. Mom and Grandma was in the kitchen, Grandpa was switching through channels, and Dad was smoking in the garage. You know, typical family stuff. But then it happen. This is 100% real. No BS. Grandma jokingly asked Grandpa "Do you really care about that guy". Grandpa replies " I don't give a f**k about him" or something like that in Vietnamese. Then CHHK TK. Static. The TV turns off. We call in Dad to fix it and he said nothing was wrong with it. No Wires were popped, no signs of struggle. After he checked it, the TV turns back on. And from that day I knew, Don't mess with dead people.

Ironically after that, I bought his Essential Album a month later and DAMN was that a good album. Most essential albums from any artist consist of their popular songs on it. My favorite song of that album is "You Rock My World", "Remember Time" and "Butterflies". I'm just a fan of the R&B feel of those songs. The instrumental is smooth and light, while MJ expresses his soul in it.

From time to time, I forget that Michael Jackson is black and not white. Just a personal thing. I had a dumb blonde moment (no offense to any blondes, I think every one of them are hot, and statistics says that hot people are more likely to be smart and socially capable of getting away with anything, but as of the moment, I'm going to make the stereotypical dumb blonde joke) when I was watching his "You Rock My World" music video and Chris Tucker in the beginning said "This is why I don't eat with black people".

By the way, THIS MAN CAN DANCE!

Frank Ocean-Channel Orange

I really don't understand why I have to explain myself why I like Frank Ocean. The man is inspiration to me. I love the story he tells in each song. The music he makes is feel-good music, yet the lyrics are dark with meaning that surpasses every current rapper rapping about unoriginal profane pompousness. For example, Crack Rock talks about an crack addict that lost everything and reminisce about his past life. It just tells you not to do drugs and its good. The song is catchy. Despite being a R&B/Rap album, "Crack Rock" gives us a organ and authentic sounds of drums. It is as if they were preaching to the listener. I feel like every lyrics in each song are simple but Frank Ocean does something that makes each of songs shine with complexity.

The Beatles

Yeah.. here we go again.

The Beatles is one of those bands you can't hate, you can't discriminate, but DANG, they can be so tiring. They're like a food you eat every single day. I'm talking 10 times a week, breakfast, lunch and dinner. No disrespect to The Beatles, they are the greatest, they continue to inspire today's generation but I get bored listening to them.

However, this is the last blog about them. And today's blog is about their "last album" Let It Be. History lesson- Abbey Road is the last album they recorded together but due to label's constant need for money, they released unreleased songs recorded from the session of Abbey Road.

Say thank you to the label, cause without this release, we wouldn't have heard Let It Be. To be honest(what is this, facebook?), that is the only song I know in this album. I think it's because when I was in middle school, my friends and I would play The Beatles Rock Band in the Xbox 360 and I guess this was the only song from the album they had in the game. The song is good. Kind of slow in my taste. I like the message they're sending out. Let it be. So simple but it's just so something about it, I just can't put my finger on it. Oh well, I should just Let It be. Ba-Dam-CHIK!

Marvin Gaye

You might have heard Marvin Gaye from many places. For example, I have a Seiko Watch that plays motown classics  every hour with songs like "Ain't No Moutain High Enough", "Pride And Joy", and "Let's Get It On". And yes, I strip when Let's Get It On comes on. I don't go below the belt though..

Anyway, you must be thinking how a Asian like me like so many Soul and Gospel stuff. Well, the answer is that I grew up with listening to soulful stuff. Why? Cause it's good for the soul. Like Marvin Gaye. Good for the soul.

Yes, the first song I heard from Marvin Gaye was "Lets Get It On" in a movie. You won't be surprised what the scene was when the music was playing... But the song!! I just love how it sounds. The bass line accompanies the song perfectly. And I like how Marvin Gaye effortlessly sings and his message that he delivers. Let him groove you.

Led Zeppelin 2

Recently, I've been listening to Led Zeppelin 2 in my class. Despite how great their first album was, I'm a little disappointed in their second album.  While the first album was filled with new stuff and felt more versatile, I thought Led Zeppelin 2 is unoriginal. What I mean by unoriginal is that every song sound the same, each song doesn't have a distinction that makes them pop out, thus making it feel like a 40 minute song than an album. There were moments that I liked the album. The drum solo is, should I say, kickin if you know what I mean. Ba-Dam-CHIK! But the problem is that I don't know what song it's from. My guess that the drum solo is in Moby Dick. Because well, why not?..