Expectations are the new anticipation and unfortunately Drake is bound to flop now & on June 15. Too much singing, not enough verbal gymnastics à la Big Daddy Kane, Kool G. Rap & other greats. Not political enough. He didn’t do anything to warrant all the attention & acclaim…except most likely strike gold when the first week’s numbers come out.

There’s a level of shortsighted by purists & fogeys thinking that TML should be the album they grew up with. Dope boys want their anthems, otherwise he’s not a certified a hard rock. It’s valid, but flawed to a degree. There’s plenty of reasons to dislike who he’s been made out to be by the media and the bludgeoning we receive from radio. I’m a part of the contingent by age and the fact that I prefer my music not to be too syrupy. Still, there’s a spot for Drake’s music on my playlist, one that doesn’t revolve around “adult concerns” and remembers what a large part of what our music and culture are about. Read the rest of this entry »

Still blinded by yesterday’s “Fireworks” display?

So were the engineers when they were mixing this track down, since songs are leaking at a torrid pace now. With a laundry list of features, perhaps the album’s biggest one is here to “Light Up” your day. Condensing the gist of his “9 A.M. In Dallas Freestyle” and polishing it up for those with shorter attention spans, Drake looks to Hov for sage advice in dealing with all the potshots from haters. Read the rest of this entry »

And the award for the most befitting tune this Memorial Day weekend goes to… Read the rest of this entry »

Although it lacks the fiery passion that made “Successful” such an instantaneous classic, Drake and Weezy F. ride the lightning with flurries of clever quips (“Drake just stands for do right and kill everything”/”Turn you into a vegetable like you lying in soup”) that keep all the fans and haters checking in, regardless of the insane popularity. Read the rest of this entry »

Simply put, Thank Me Later has too many guest appearances. The people paid their money to hear Drake, not Sgt. Drizzy’s Lonely Hearts Club. It’s overly calculated, pieces of plastic like this that continue to strip the art from every industry album as the game keeps reforming. Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone has pride, just like everyone has a breaking point. And at some time, everyone is going to hear all the criticisms placed upon them. To their face and behind their back.

In the world of Hip-Hop, those criticisms are magnified, especially in current times. For artists like Eminem, Jay-Z and OutKast, their legend was stamped long before the Internet rose to power. While it is a gift and a curse, “newer” artists do not necessarily have that luxury. They travel the road to hopeful Hip-Hop hierarchy with the World Wide Web documenting their every step and misstep. Aubrey Drake Graham is a perfect example. Read the rest of this entry »

Drake is looking for love. And the rest of us are looking for a reason to like this song. Now, there’s a video to accompany the Kanye-produced “Find Your Love” from Drake’s upcoming Thank Me Later debut. In the clip, Drizzy channels his days as Jimmy to show off his acting chops in a video that’s as over-dramatic as Gossip Girl. Read the rest of this entry »

– After all the posturing and jive talk, Jim Jones & Co. took home the Band Of Ballers Crown for the second straight year. Best part is nobody was tased like in Philly. So much for all Black functions ending in violence.

– Is this the cover of the most anticipated Rap album of the year?

– Back like it never left The Boondocks (& Uncle Ruckus) had the internet going nuts with their antics.

– This Just In: Kobe Bryant Is Not Gay. Wish we could say the same about the first round of the NBA playoffs. Read the rest of this entry »

“When my album drop, b@tches will buy it for the picture…”

My dear old mum is a wise lady. As a young child, she gave me a nugget of wisdom that I’ve carried with me for years since. As I was making fun of Mother Thompson’s natty hair in church one Sunday, my usually docile mother pinched the fire out of a young Gotty’s™ arm and told me if I didn’t have anything nice to say then I shouldn’t say anything at all. And she also promised me a “d#mn whipping” after church but that’s beside the fact here. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll keep it one hunnit. Thank Me Later has no buzz. I’m willing to go as far and bet most fans going to these concerts don’t even know the name of the album. But that’s not going to stop The Great Drizzle from spreading love the Young Money way with the power of song. Read the rest of this entry »

Full update later but for now I wanted to post a few pics from Drake’s performance Friday @ Vanderbilt’s Rites of Passage festival. The good folks over there handling press access are always professional & completely accommodating so I was able to snag a handful of good shots (click here to see more of those). It’s always a pleasure to be close to the stage without having to elbow your way through the ruckus or getting trampled in the process, all for the sake of taking pictures for a crummy website. The only catch was that we weren’t allowed to capture video for some of the performers, which was a bummer but dah well. Read the rest of this entry »

Here we have Wheelchair Jimmy’s video for his first single off his upcoming debut album. Read the rest of this entry »

CaSSiie MeLinDa

Kelsey Grammer Settles Lawsuit For Only $10 [EW]

The Top 10 Blunders Independent Artists Make With Their Web Presence [My Music Success]

The Cop That Pulled Over Joey Porter Has A DUI Of His Own [With Leather]

No One Wants To Sing Happy Birthday To Chris Brown [Broken Cool]

Facebook Posting Allegedly Led To House Robbery [BX Sports]

Drake Sets Release Date For Thank Me Later [The Urban Daily] Read the rest of this entry »

While it will add to the radio appeal, this song could be suffering from too much Terius. Minus him and imagining Drake shooting solo, it tips the same lane traveled by SFG’s “Houstatlantavegas,” which would be a great thing. With Mr. Nash in this said unfinished mix, we’re bordering on a R. Kelly sound that’s a tad too sweet for consumption. I’ll wait it to hear a final version that makes Thank Me Later and how it fits before making a judgment. Read the rest of this entry »

The precedence set with “Best I Ever Had” & “Successful” has been a blessing and a curse for Drizzy Drake. The level of anticipation those particular cuts set for his future endeavors was priceless but the expectations could prove to be very costly all the same. Read the rest of this entry »