BUN B for President

Bun B (Feat. Drake)- "Put It Down" OFFICIAL VIDEO

We like Drake's outfits in this video. The nude pants on ole girl...not so much. Enjoy!

Hip-Hop Divas Photo Collection

http://www.michaelantonio.net/
"Showcasing the influence of glamour, femininity, sex appeal, confidence and power through the beauty of today's female MC"

Check out photographer, Michael Antonio's collection of Hip-Hop Divas including Trina and Lil Kim.  There is rumored to be more on the way including Queen Latifa, Eve and MC Lyte. I would personally like to see Lauryn Hill, Jean Grae, Rah Digga, Reema Major, Amanda Diva and...might as well through in Nicki, right?  Kudos for showcasing these female MCs in their best "light." Love it!

Trina

Rasheeda

I personally love these two photos!!! Great work! -Photo Chic

J Cole-In the Morning

J. Cole live from Tempe, Arizona 11/19/10 (BET Music Matters Tour)

Excuse the audio...we were right next to a speaker, so I had to adjust the sound so you can hear him. :-)

-Photo Chic

Nicki Minaj-Pink Friday-Album Review

Photo Chic gives it 2 sneaks
Let me start by saying that I have never been a Nicki fan, but I was really hoping that she was going to represent for the females and put out a legit album.  After Kanye West-Monster leaked out and I heard her verse, I got really excited because she really went in on it.  Now, here comes Pink Friday...what I am going to refer to as a pop album. Very disappointing.  If you are expecting Monster Nicki...please refrain from wasting your money on this album.  I try not to be a very negative person, so let me focus on the positives first.  Romans Revenge ft Eminem goes hard.  I really like the beat...great to put on the ipod workout mix. :-) We all know she is talking about Lil Kim and she goes in on her well...better than Lil Kim’s “pot calling the kettle black” Black Friday rebuttal.  Moving along...I also like Blazin ft Kanye West.  Can’t deny the sample.  I’m an 80s kid.  Don’t judge me, but I also like Check it Out ft will.i.am...it’s just got a fun vibe. I’ll probably use it for a ZUMBA warm up routine.  I never thought I would dislike a song ft Drake, but I do not like Moment for Life.  Her rhymes on this track are simple and often times corny.  She’s also not Drake...her singing skills are very lack luster.  I feel like the entire album might have been a very bad attempt at trying to do what Drake does from a  female’s POV.  Fail.  She should have stuck to the rhymes and let the singing go.  I think Fly would have been a good song minus Nicki.  Rihanna should have used it on her own album.  Right thru Me reminds me of the corny European GI rap I used to listen too as a kid in Germany.  This was not a good thing.  I can’t get passed the chorus...terrible.    Ay, back to the positive.  Did it on Em is good...reminds me of the Nicki I thought would dominate the entire album.  I’m the Best...not the best song.  “To all my bad bitches, I can see your halo.”  Ehhhh?!  Writing this review is making me upset all over again because she didn’t bring the heat that everyone hyped her up to bring.  Arghhh.  I’m done here...2 sneaks. Nicki’s as soft as the color pink...the title of the album is fitting.  I’m out! 


Mixtape Chic gives it 2 sneaks
Where to begin? Where to begin? Looking at the track listing, “Moment 4 Life” stuck out the most, as I had heard some of the other titles previously. The title of a song can speak volumes. You  may think, this is where she will show her maximum skill and silence all skeptics with her words. When you hear, “never judge a book by its cover,” take heed. In this song Minaj states, “This is my moment to shine.” However, there is nothing shiny about this record. No skill is shown. The flow is simple and the chorus is just plain dismal. It sounds as if she doesn’t believe what she is saying herself. So how are we supposed to believe? One believable track is “Roman’s Revenge”. Unfortunately, it is a record aimed at a specific individual and is considered a “diss“ record. Since when do we put “diss” records on albums? Definitely should have left that for the mixtape. Even though names are not mentioned, everyone knows there is a target. The only refreshing part of this song is Eminem and the very end when Minaj throws on an accent, clever indeed. On a better note, “Right Thru Me” is relatable. The more you relate to a song, the more likely  you are to become fond of it. Even though the chorus can become quite irritating, the lyrics speak to a true life situation that people face on a regular basis. The flow is still simple but the story is there. All in all, this is one, of a few tracks, I can play and not want to listen to something else instead. When an artist produces a new CD they choose a genre as their main focus or maybe if an R&B singer wants to rap, they choose one track…JUST ONE and vice versa, in most cases. Of course, it is great when artists venture outside of their realm of music but not to where it completely erases what is supposed to be the foremost focus. Not sure what Nicki Minaj was going for with this album but Pink Friday IS NOT a Hip-Hop album. Yet, she portrayed herself to be a hip-hop artist…hmmm. There is Pop, R&B and Hip-Hop on this album. The Pop, as well as the R&B, seem to be much more prevalent than the Hip-Hop.  To top that, most (not all) of the time, when rapping occurs it is quite rudimentary as well as monotonous. It seems as though there is one or two dominate subjects throughout the entire album. Minaj is either telling you she is the best out there or singing a love song to whomever. The situation is so simple yet so complex. Applause to Minaj for her diverse pallet but a remodel seems to be in order here. Aaliyah (may she rest in peace) said it best,  “And if at first you don’t succeed. Dust yourself off and try again.” Try again Nicki…try again.


Network Chic gives it 1 sneak and a (pink) shoelace
I didn’t like barbies growing up and I certainly have not obtained a new fondness of them after listening to Pink Friday.  Matter of fact, it belongs on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (with some randomly edited words).  I was extremely disappointed in her elementary delivery of words (can’t even call them rhymes), especially after seeing and knowing the potential she has from her verses on other artists’ tracks and mixtapes (Kanye and Drake anyone?) 

Roman’s Revenge was a decent track and while I agree that Lil Kim is a has-been, why is this track on her album?  Nicki (kinda) and Em go hard on this track, but the hook lacks any sophistication or depth to be a cleverly disguised diss track.  Did It On Em reminds me of a failed P. Diddy (or whatever his name is today) song.

The hook on Blazin is catchy and will make quality mainstream, radio material and Kanye’s verse is comical but well worded.  Fly is the only track that I enjoyed and solely because of the message it gives, “I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive,” and this is a theme hook for any young girl or boy to remember and live by. 

Essentially, it is a pop album and I respect her for making the most out of her fan base, but I expected more lyrical complication and raw delivery from her rather than mickey mouse club songs.  Guess I’ll just listen to her as a featured artist on other artists’ tracks to get my fix of a lyrically strong female artist who can deliver. 

Kanye West-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy-Album Review

The "Banned in the USA" Album Cover

Photo Chic gives it 4 sneaks

Making this review 500 words or less has been a huge challenge for the simple fact that this album has so much to offer.  Love him or hate him...you cannot deny the raw talent of Kanye West. It shines through this whole album. The intro, with Nicki Minaj’s monologue sets the tone of the album...you really feel like you have opened the first page of a fairy-tale story book. Then comes the beat...the musical selections of this album are magical. Like a composition...well thought out for every song. Guest stars on this album are far from lacking and although I am usually not a fan of albums with more features than solo songs, Kanye gets a pass from me. The caliber of artists he has assisting him is diverse and keeps the album unique and original. The “All of Lights” musical interlude is beautiful. If you love MUSIC...you will appreciate the way the instruments cry. Yes...I said cry. I thought “All of the Lights” was my favorite song and that the album couldn’t possibly get any better after that, but how quickly I forgot that “Monster” was on this album. Enter the heavy-hitters and the best verse that I’ve ever heard come out of Nicki Minaj’s mouth ever (please note that I am not a Barbie fan). For a moment she got me hype enough to buy Pink Friday...good thing I didn’t (another review in itself). Back to Kanye...“So Appalled” glorifies my favorite word...RIDICULOUS and ridiculous describes what I think of the song, too (and I mean this in a good way). Fast forward to “Blame Game.” My favorite track on the album. This is where I need to mention that all the auto-tune is not necessary on this album...clearly Kanye can sing well without “the crutch” as we can see towards the end of the song, after the spoken word poetry. Chris Rock wraps it up nicely, with some comic relief. The album is definitely what I define as dark, but it is a good dark. Unlike his honest outbursts, that have often gotten him in trouble by the mass media, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” was extremely well thought out and prepared. Kanye really put his heart and soul into the album, from the music, guests and even the artwork. Thought provoking to say the least. Even if you hate him, you cannot deny the musical quality of this album. I give this album a solid 4 sneaks. The only downfall...auto tune (which should have no place on this album) and a few sub-par lyrical efforts on the part of Kanye West, which is easy to forgive when you have such a phenomenal cast on the album. 

Mixtape Chic gives it 3.5 sneaks

As I am not a fan of auto tune, therefore I was not a fan of 808’s & Heartbreaks. However, My Beautiful Dark Fantasy is a relief to my ears. The diversity of the sounds and artists that are presented are mind-boggling. When I listen to an album, I try to imagine what it may sound like performed live. I can definitely see “All of the Lights” being a show piece with a full orchestra; and this is only from the music itself. I describe this song as an eclectic masterpiece. Although there are many different genres of artists on this one song alone, it blends together too well. Having too many artists of different genres, let alone the same genre, can sometimes ruin a song; but that is not the case here. There is a surprise appearance by Elton John who takes an unexpected rugged approach to his words which ends the song perfectly. Although, “All of the Lights” is crisp lyrically and musically, I cannot deny how much I was drawn to my favorite track on the album, “Devil In a New Dress”. A smooth groove that takes me back to when I first fell in love with Kanye, not just as a producer but as an artist. The song was “Through the Wire”. It had an old school feel and it told his story. That is exactly how I feel about “Devil In a New Dress”. The song samples Smokey Robinson’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”, which gives it a ballad feel, yet Kanye uses intense lyrics.  Ye is, again, telling a story on this track. Only he is not so literal with his words. The story can get choppy but you can tell what he is portraying. This song is lyrically enticing and keeps you wanting more even when it is over.  Overall, Kanye stays away from the cookie cutter style of rapping that is out there these days and stays true to himself. He challenges all of the norms of hip-hop and pop music. Some would call his music aberrant but I would call it extraordinary. While there are a few songs that it could do without, for example, “Gorgeous” and “Lost In The World”, I cannot deny the ingenuity of this album. Kanye West is back! 

Network Chic gives it 4 sneaks
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is all but a fantasy.  As Kanye says, “No one man should have all that power.”  From beginning to end, I felt as if I were dressed in Vera Wang sitting on stage at Phantom of the Opera with the highs, lows and power struggles between Ye’s desire to be accepted by mainstream American to keep earnin’ profit and his desire to be true to himself and say, “Eff ya’ll.”  Prime example is in Power when he says,

Eff SNL and the whole cast

Tell em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass

More specifically, they can kiss my asshole

I’m an asshole? You niggas got jugs

And then in Monster he says, “F'in up my money so yeah I had to act sane”

Basically, with the diverse group of featured artists on this album, his gritty, yet smoothly delivered lyrics, Ye is shittin all over comparable artists right now.  He showcases his eclectic talent and ear for music with the All of the Lights interlude and track.  The interlude’s instrumental strings and piano were phenomenal and well orchestrated. 

I do feel let down by the last two tracks but know they will make good club tracks.  Also, I was not impressed with Devil In A New Dress simply because I feel like we’ve heard it all before – the symbolism was apparent and translucent to his life, but I guess that is what makes great music. 

I fell in love with Runaway with his short film and still love this story of a song and also fell in love with So Appalled, which should have just been called F'in Ridiculous!  It’s featured artists made this song and the beat killed.  Bringing John Legend in on Blame Game was a perfect way to smooth the edges to this rugged song and the incorporation of Chris Rock’s piece made the song for me.

His (and his production team’s) creative mastery to align these tracks in a manner that seems almost pedestrian is the beauty of Ye’s talent – he transforms his intellectual wealth and eclectic-ness into simplistic beauty.