19 May

Posted at 22:55h in Music, Throwback
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We didn’t get any TBT selection last week, so we get two this week. Isn’t that lovely?

In April of ‘92, Mariah Carey released “Make It Happen” as the third single from her sophomore set, Emotions. The song is a gospel yet dance track about having faith in one’s dreams. Released less than two years into her now-iconic career, the song begins with MC looking back at how drastically her life had changed in just three years.

Written and produced by the singer herself along with David Cole and Robert Clivillés of C+C Music Factory — the former of whom inspired the writing of “One Sweet Day” — “Make It Happen” samples Alicia Myers’ gospel-disco classic, “I Want to Thank You.” The song would go onto peak at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Mariah Carey’s second single to not top the chart and her very first to peak outside of the top two.

19 May

Posted at 22:28h in Music, Podcast
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In May of 2004, Mason Betha released “Welcome Back” after a five-year break from the music industry. Based on a sample of the Welcome Back, Kotter, the song was supposed to be a reintroduction of sorts and also a reminder of how popular Mase was in the late ‘90s.

Unfortunately for Mase, the game didn’t quite welcome him back with open arms. Hip-hop had produced a handful of megastars — Nelly, Eminem, 50 Cent — in the years since he left the business to pursue “a calling from God,” and by 2004, the genre was making a shift away from the styles that made Mase such a huge star.

“Welcome Back” only managed to peak at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100.

12 May

Posted at 13:51h in Crime, Music
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Twenty-eight members and associates of Young Slime Life (YSL), a gang that reportedly claims affiliation with the national Bloods gang, have been indicted on 56 charges that include racketeering, murder, armed robbery, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Young Thug (born Jeffery Williams), who was arrested on Monday, was initially charged with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and participating in criminal street gang activity. However, following a raid of his home, he is now facing seven additional charges: Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; possession of a Schedule III, Iv Or V controlled substance with intent to distribute; possession of firearm during commission of a felony; possession of a sawed-off shotgun, sawed-off rifle, machine mun, dangerous weapon, or silencer; and three separate charges of unlawful conduct for person employed by/associated with criminal street gang to conduct/participate in criminal activity.

Gunna (born Sergio Kitchens), on the other hand, was only indicted on the RICO charge. He turned himself in yesterday.

Two of the other 26 indictees, Christian Eppinger and Antonio Sumlim, allegedly “worked to get permission” from Young Thug to make a second murder attempt on currently incarcerated rapper, YFN Lucci (who is facing murder and RICO charges of his own).

05 May

Posted at 20:14h in Music, Throwback
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Are you crazy? You was married?

We don’t talk enough about how amazing Wyclef Jean is, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that he was in a group with one Lauryn Hill. As members of The Fugees (along with Pras), they ruled the world with their second and final album, The Score, and in many ways, Ms. Hill was the biggest beneficiary of that commercial success. Sister Act 2 (co-starring Lauryn Hill) went from from a panned, failed, forgotten sequel to a cult classic following the success of The Score, and two years later, she released a solo album that sold over 15 million copies and won five Grammys, including one for Album of the Year.

Wyclef scored a few hits in the decade-and-a-half after The Score, but the fact of the matter is that so many of his singles were basically overlooked, especially in the United States, where he is credited with only one top 10 hit as a lead act.

One of the hidden gems in Wyclef’s solo discography is “It Doesn’t Matter” (featuring The Rock & Melky Sedeck). Released as the lead single from his second solo album, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book, the song is a jazzy club banger — yes, a jazzy club banger — centered around The Rock’s popular catch phrase and based on a sample of Slick Rick’s ‘88 classic, “Mona Lisa,” and “This Is Ska” by Bad Manners.

Even though it was a top 10 hit in Canada and a top five hit in the UK, “It Doesn’t Matter” failed to chart in the US. How embarrassing for American music audiences of the year 2000. Click play.

05 May

Posted at 08:06h in Comedy
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And it did not end well for his attacker.

During a performance last night at the Hollywood Bowl, DaveChappelle was tackled by a man. The attacker is said to have run backstage as the comedian’s security got in formation — backstage, he was stomped like grapes at a winery.

Dave Chappelle later returned to stage to joke about the incident, saying that he had to stomp the man. He also thanked Jamie Foxx and Busta Rhymes for making their feet useful. Former BET exec Stephen Hill is also seen onstage, and while its not clear if he took part in the stomping, his facial expression tells a story.

Chris Rock, who performed earlier in the evening, came onstage to ask if that was Will Smith.

The man who attacked Dave Chapelle has been identified as 23-year-old Isaiah Lee. He was rushed to the hospital looking like a pretzel and is now in police custody on a $30,000. According to the LAPD, he was armed with a replica gun equipped with an ejectable blade and has now been charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon.

Isaiah Lee is also a rapper. He has a song that appears to be named after the comedian, except it’s misspelt as “Dave Chappell.” We listened so you don’t have to. It’s trash.

His rap name is NONAME_TRAPPER.

21 Apr

Posted at 20:08h in Music, Throwback
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Today marks six years since we lost Prince, so it’s only right that we pick something from his outstanding catalog.

“If I Was Your Girlfriend” was originally recorded for Camille, a self-titled album named after Prince’s alter ego that was supposed to be released in 1986 but was ultimately shelved weeks before it’s planned release. The alter ego in question was to be realized through pitch-shifting technology to make Prince’s sound more “womanly,” and the plan was to never acknowledge that Camille was actually Prince. The Camille album will finally have its day later this year.

Released as the second single from his ninth album, Sign o’ the Times, “If I Was Your Girlfriend” is a series of questions posed by a man wondering if his woman could ever be as comfortable around him as she is around her female friends. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to describe this song as weird, but if you take a step back, you might be able to appreciate it as an examination of intimacy within platonic (typically same-sex) relationships. It can also be seen as an examination of the jealousy that men sometimes feel towards their female partners’ friendships (with other women). Interestingly, the song is rumored to be about Prince’s jealousy of then-girlfriend Susannah Melvoin‘s relationship with her twin sister, Wendy.

Whether or not you can appreciate it for its profundity, there is no denying that “If I Was Your Girlfriend” is a solid track that was way ahead of its time. The track failed to crack the top 40 in the States, but it was a top 20 hit in the UK. Fifteen years later, it was sampled on Jay-Z’s 2002 hit, “‘03 Bonnie & Clyde” (featuring Beyoncé), which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The album version of “If I Was Your Girlfriend” is the superior version by far, so we’re gonna go ahead and link it here. However, the video version isn’t half-bad. Check it out below.

20 Apr

Posted at 12:08h in Music
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Rihanna’s boyfriend was arrested at LAX earlier today after landing in a private jet. According to reports, the arrest was related to a November 2021 shooting. He has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

According to the LAPD, there was an argument between two acquaintances that resulted in one of them — A$AP Rocky (born Rakim Mayers) — allegedly firing a handgun at the other.

18 Apr

Posted at 08:05h in Music
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For better or worse, Lizzo stays firmly in her musical lane.

“About Damn Time” is the kind of whimsical fare we have come to know and love her for, but on this occasion, Lizzo didn’t quite bring it home. The song isn’t terrible, but it feels like she was a little to intentional in its attempt to recreate earlier hits, which wouldn’t be an issue if the result wasn’t a tad trite.

The video isn’t the greatest either. Check it out below.