NEW WU-TANG WORLD TOUR ANNOUNCED!...

WU-TANG CLAN's '36 Chambers Anniversary' World Tour has now added DJ Premier, Public Enemy, & De La Soul to the bill, and expanded to US dates as well -- They are now calling it 'The Gods of Rap' Tour.... check it out!!!

PLAQUE SUCCESS TUESDAYS - WEEK 6 (2019)

[PLAQUE SUCCESS TUESDAYS]

It's my privilege to blast out the weekly music sales success report hot off the presses here @ RIAA.  This is where I'll weekly be acknowledging all artists who have earned a certified sales plaque for both singles & albums. 

For Week 6 of 2019, we see Ed Sheeran get 12x Platinum success; a couple Platinum plaques, and a handful of Gold... so my personal congrats goes out to: Ed Sheeran, Steve Mac, Youngboy Never Broke Again, 2 Chainz, Ellie Goulding, Swae Lee, Diplo, Avicii, Rita Ora, Kevin Gates, Janelle Monae, Sofi Tukker, Nervo, & The Knocks - and all of their respective record labels.  Keep the hits coming!

[ALBUM REVIEW] – ARIANA GRANDE – ‘Thank U, Next’

[ALBUM REVIEW]

Artist/Album: 

ARIANA GRANDE – ‘Thank U, Next’

Record Labels:  Republic

Release Date:    02/08/19

Singles (thus far): “Thank U, Next”, “7 Rings”, & “Break Up With Your Girlfriend…”

Last August, Ariana Grande returned to the limelight a mega-star, thanks to her wildly-successful (but emotionally underwhelming) ‘Sweetener’.  Can I blame her though?  From her overly-perceived diva outbursts publicly; the tragic Manchester bombing canceling her UK tour; Mac Miller’s death; embarrassing tattoo failure; to her quick engagement & break-up with Pete Davidson – she’s been dealing with a lot mentally.  ‘Sweetener’ had fluttery bubble-gum hits, but felt over-produced & sugar-coated.  Unfocused, detached, impersonal, and I saw through its forced sense of positivity.  In my mind, there had to be more going on in her psyche & it was frustrating she didn’t pour it into her music.  Fast-forward to the reveal of this album’s title ‘Thank U, Next’, and I knew she was bringing totally different emotions and may be ready to open up.

Things kick off with December’s promo cut “Imagine”, where dreamy-yet-grand composition, allows Grande to bring back her complex vocal runs, meatier harmonizing, & whistle-register – all of which felt absent on ‘Sweetener’.  Perky title-track “Thank U, Next” is a catchy but bitter denouncement of her failed relationships, calling them out by 1st name.  “Needy” is a candid, woozy confessional ballad over lone snaps & elegant keys that’s a good pace-setter for the project’s whole mood.  Five months isn’t long, but the overall reflective writing is my favorite improvement.  The somber “Ghostin” pairs her raw feelings of being broken by both love & loss; over a faint, stripped down, ghostly sample of ex-boyfriend Mac Miller’s “2009” – a noticeable centerpiece of the album.  The bad-intentioned “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” makes for a bouncy promiscuous banger.  There’s a great middle stretch of ambitious, slower-tempo jams like: the man-don’t-kill-my-vibe “Bloodline”; the murky and sad “Fake Smile”; the playful-yet-cocky “7 Rings”; her suggestion of sex as an anesthetic on “Bad Idea”; to her metaphor for needing space on “NASA” – some of her more adventurous tracks to date. 

Many songs were introspective, showing her layers of anxiety, desire, & crazy clash of thoughts, so it was tough finding many I didn’t enjoy.  “Make Up” while flexing some cool deliveries, stood out as a clangy, less-inspired, Lilly Allen-esque contemporary jingle, closer to the ‘Sweetener’ sound I’d like to leave behind.  Elsewhere, the synth-heavy trappy-adlibbed “In My Head” was less conceptual and felt equally too busy & under-developed. 

A rather interesting therapy session.  I genuinely liked 10-of-12 tracks, so I’m grading ‘Thank U, Next’ as a *SUPERIOR ALBUM* and one of the year’s best.  It’s a welcomed opposite to the radio-friendly ‘Sweetener’ – but instead of being sour, it’s rather salty.  It’s darker, sparse mood music, that’s sometimes veiled in attitude, pain, regret, and/or chilly sadness.  Artistically, Ariana's less Pop-diva here, and it plays more like honest-to-herself diary entries.  My favorite songs I recommend are: “Bloodline”, “Fake Smile”, “Bad Idea”, “Thank U, Next”, “Ghostin”, & “NASA”.

MY FINAL VERDICT:

5 STARS (out of 6)

BUMP IT Or DUMP IT!, VOL. 115:

*WEEKLY 9: BUMP IT Or DUMP IT!, VOL. 115:


Simple rules:
Here’s the Top-9 new singles officially sent to Urban-based radio formats, that are either beginning to chart right now or expected to chart soon.  In exchange, you can have & listen to them, and personally comment below, stating if you would *Bump It* or *Dump It* for each record and why... [Strong Bump, Weak Bump, Weak Dump, or Strong Dump]
-----------------------------


"BREAK UP WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND..." (Ariana Grande),
Debuting @ #26 on Pop formats;
Debuting @ #36 on Rhythmic/Club formats;
+ Shipped to Urban 02/12/19;
via Republic.,
[beginning w/ 2,619 + 538 + 102 Daily US Spins].


"PLEASE ME" (Cardi B & Bruno Mars),
Debuting @ #27 on Pop formats;
Debuting @ #29 on Urban formats;
Debuting @ #27 on Rhythmic/Club formats;
via KSR/Atlantic.,
[beginning w/ 2,524 + 988 + 834 Daily US Spins].


"I'VE BEEN WAITING" (Lil Peep f/ ILoveMakonnen & Fall Out Boy),
Debuting @ #35 on Pop formats;
+ Shipped to Rhythmic/Club & Urban 02/09/19;
via AUTNMY/Columbia.,
[beginning w/ 1,408 + 168 + 129 Daily US Spins].


"I AM WHO THEY SAY I AM" (Youngboy N.B.A. f/ Kevin Gates & Quando Rondo),
Debuting @ #28 on Urban formats;
via Never Broke Again/Atlantic.,
[beginning w/ 1,051 + 182 Daily US Spins].


"GIRLS HAVE FUN" (Tyga f/ G-Eazy & Rich The Kid),
Debuting @ #29 on Rhythmic/Club formats;
+ Shipped to Urban 02/13/19;
via Last Kings/EMPIRE Dist.,
[beginning w/ 794 + 301 Daily US Spins].


"PROJECT DREAMS" (Marshmello f/ Roddy Ricch),
Debuting @ #31 on Rhythmic/Club formats;
+ Shipped to Urban 02/07/19;
via Joytime Collective/Warner Bros.,
[beginning w/ 677 + 74 Daily US Spins].


"POLEDANCER" (Wale f/ Megan Thee Stallion),
Debuting @ #47 on Urban formats;
Shipped to Rhythmic/Club 02/15/19;
via MMG/Warner Bros.,
[beginning w/ 573 + 62 Daily US Spins].


"ROLL SOME MO" (Lucky Daye),
Debuting @ #16 on Adult/R&B formats;
Shipped to Urban 02/04/19;
via Keep Cool/RCA.,
[beginning w/ 556 Daily US Spins].


"OCEAN DRIVE" (Smif-n-Wessun f/ Musiq Soulchild & Rapsody),
Shipped to Urban formats 02/12/19;
via Duck Down/Fontana Dist.,
[beginning w/ 59 Daily US Spins].


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...
Download Links:
https://www43.zippyshare.com/v/LZj9EUhy/file.html

THE PANEL #114 - Feb 2019

It’s that time again, for THE PANEL's BUMP IT or DUMP IT #114 review. 

We have 3 HMV staff members this week, who'll take on the 9 new singles shipped to radio, to analyze how much they liked (or disliked) them & predict how successful they'll be.  Here are the ratings across the board; And since we wanna share the interaction, if you’re interested in reading the full reviews from each person, feel free to check out their individual pages linked underneath their names.  This week THE PANEL consisted of: 

@Rapper A.M. (Baltimore, MD);
https://www.facebook.com/Angryman410/

@Doc J (Clermont, FL);
https://www.facebook.com/DocJMusicAndEntertainment/

@Slin K Renaissance Man (Pompano Bch, FL);
https://www.myperspectivemusic.blogspot.com/


Check them all out, and see if you agree with some of us.  Enjoy & #Salud.

----------------------------------

1. "MOB TIES" (Drake)

2. "YUSO" (Kid Ink f/ Lil Wayne & Saweetie)

3. "CLOSE FRIENDS" (Lil Baby & Gunna)

4. "IF YOU WANT LOVE" (NF)

5. "ENVY ME" (Calboy)

6. "2 AM" (Casanova f/ Tory Lanez & Davido)

7. "NIGHTS LIKE THIS" (Kehlani f/ Ty Dolla $ign)

8. "BEDROOM" (The-Dream)

9. "COMMITMENT" (Monica)

PLAQUE REPORT TUESDAY - Week 5 (2019)

[PLAQUE REPORT TUESDAYS]

It's my privilege to blast out the weekly music sales success report hot off the presses here @ RIAA.  This is where I'll weekly be acknowledging all artists who have earned a certified sales plaque for both singles & albums. 

For Week 5 of 2019, we see our plenty of multi-Platinum & Platinum, and even some plaques for older releases...

My personal congrats goes out to: The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Chris Brown, Sheck Wes, Yo Gotti, Nicki Minaj, Nas, Maluma, French Montana, Kendrick Lamar, G-Eazy, Kevin Gates, Juice Wrld, YBN Nahmir, Amine, Derez De'Shon, K Camp, Russ, & Ty Dolla $ign - and all of their respective record labels.  Keep the hits coming!

FREE ISH FRIDAYS, Vol. 1

[FREE ISH FRIDAYS, Vol. 1]



For 2019, we're trying our best to kick things off in a giving mood.  So, time permitting, I'll be making one of these free download posts weekly every Friday... for all you collectors out there.  Now, since many of us are passionate & "married" to this music; we'll be riding on the concept of "something old & something new".  Something old - being any release that came out this same calendar day at least 8 years ago or more.  Something new - will be a release in the last 1-2 weeks that I genuinely enjoyed & want you to check out.  So since today is 2/9... let's see what albums I pull out:

SOMETHING OLD:

Artist/Album:  SADE – ‘Soldier of Love’
Record Labels:   Sony Music
Release Date:    02/09/2010
Singles:   “Soldier of Love”, “Babyfather”, & “The Moon and the Sky”



Success:   Debuted #1 in 11 countries, including on US Billboard selling 502,000+ 1st week; spent 3 weeks in a row at #1; certified Platinum in both America, Canada, Greece, & Switzerland; has sold over 1.4-million units in the US alone; and music on this album scooped her up 2 Grammy nominations.  

SOMETHING NEW:

Artist/Album:  MASS APPEAL Compilation – ‘Starting 5, Vol. 1’
Record Labels:   Mass Appeal/Def Jam
Release Date:    02/05/2019
Features:  Nas, Black Milk, Fashawn, Ezri, Stro, 070 Phi, Cantrell, Keyon Harrold, Liana Bank$

Details:   Quick but jammin’ 8-song compilation EP in support of Mass Appeal Records’ upcoming US tour beginning on February 6th, featuring the new label roster Nas is trying to promote.  


LINKS:
Sade = https://www81.zippyshare.com/v/5uZaGiCV/file.html
Mass Appeal = https://www81.zippyshare.com/v/5Mkniylc/file.html

[ALBUM REVIEW] - AESOP ROCK & TOBACCO - '...are MALIBU KEN'

[2019 ALBUM JUDGMENT]

Artist – Album: AESOP ROCK & TOBACCO – ‘…are MALIBU KEN’
Record Labels:  Rhymesayers Entertainment
Release Date:    01/18/19
Singles (thus far): “Acid King” & “Corn Maze”

Experimental weirdness, dizzy deliveries, super-dense vocab;
One of the tougher lyricists to decode for some; but provides complex, trippy storytelling.

Those unfamiliar with either:  Aesop Rock is a Long Island-born, Portland OR.-raised, underground emcee/producer who’s been making music since 1996.  He’s often described as an abstract, sophisticatedly-weird, surrealist rapper that’s CL Smooth-meets-Salvador Dali - who rose to fame in the Definitive Jux & Rhymesayers Ent heydays.  Tobacco hails from Pittsburgh, and is producer/frontman for the psychedelic, electro-synth band Black Moth Super Rainbow; with a carefree passion of synthesizers, vocoders, & old pre-digital hardware.

Lead-off track/2nd single, “Corn Maze” instantly exhibits the type of reverbed, whirling, funky-thump, and strangely-reflective raps we’re in for.  His unique imagery’s best displayed in “Tuesday”; a lasery, drunken ode describing his dirty apartment, hygiene, & care for plants – that he ends with the euphony that life thrives best when left alone.  “Acid King” is a dark mix of frantic, restless, ominous keyboards & 8-bit video game sounds; over which Aes tells the 1980s tale of Long Island-murderer Ricky Kasso, who stabbed his best friend 32 times over stolen PCP.  “1+1=13” is driven by a broken organ and creatively reaches at good luck charms & superstitions.  Lyrically, he capably shifts from his blurred-reality, nostalgic, cartoony-view of negative world news on the staticy “Save Our Ship”; to my favorite record here, the zap-heavy, bassy, head-nodding “Suicide Big Gulp” – the most braggadocious I’ve heard Aesop.

Aes’ rhyme-schemes are sharp as ever & his puzzling, wordy verses are out-there & personal; while Tobacco adds a different kind of weirdness.  His rumbling, analog, synth-funk is interesting & very unpredictable - some of the livelier beats I’ve heard Aesop on.  Still unorthodox, abstract, alternative-hip-hop; but not as boom-bap-influenced as his previous works.  Occasionally, Tobacco’s thick tsunami of off-kilter, zappy, electro-keys are a little overwhelming – so admittedly it’s headphone-rap you have to be in the mood for.  Knowing Aesop Rock’s an acquired taste; these concepts are too tedious & aren’t trendy enough for the mainstream to get into.  Underground fans though will find it a colorful, groovy addition to his collection & one of the 1st good projects of 2019.  I enjoyed 6 songs out of 10, so I’m grading it as *Above-Average*.  The best tracks I recommend are: “Suicide Big Gulp”, “Acid King”, “Tuesday”, & “Corn Maze”.


My Final Verdict:

4 STARS (out of 6)

PLAQUE SUCCESS REPORT - Week 3 (2019)

[PLAQUE SUCCESS REPORT]

It's my privilege to blast out the weekly music sales success report hot off the presses here @ RIAA.  This is where I'll weekly be acknowledging all artists who have earned a certified sales plaque for both singles & albums. 

For Week 3 of 2019, we're seeing a Diamond plaque, some multi-Platinum & plenty of Gold, .. so my personal congrats goes out to: Bruno Mars, The Smeezingtons, Needlz, Bazzi, Goldlink, Brent Faiyaz, Shy Glizzy, Gucci Mane, Drake, Youngboy Never Broke Again, Flipp Dinero, G.R.I.T.S., Toby Mac, The Carters, Solange, Chris Brown, The Weeknd, Jessie Reyez - and all of their respective record labels.  Keep the hits coming!

[ALBUM REVIEW] - FUTURE - 'Presents THE WIZRD'

[2019 ALBUM JUDGMENT]

Artist – Album: FUTURE – ‘Presents THE WIZRD’

Record Labels:  Freebandz/Sony/Epic

Release Date:    01/18/19

Singles (thus far): “Crushed Up” & “Jumping On A Jet”

Trappy, bizarre, trippy, tip-toes the line of drug abuse vs. love-struck;

But a bloatedly-long listen that’s unevenly uninspired, snoozy, formulaic, & very autopilot… 

Things begin great on “Never Stop” with a lighter, thoughtful, violin-backed beat allowing Future to speak reflective & personal.   “Krazy But True” is enjoyably off-kilter & moody, showing some of his current opinions & relationship insecurities.  “Call The Coroner” while implying he wants to be a drug-lord; flexes one of the better, harder, bangers on the album.  “Promise U That” is catchy, has lots of thump, a ghostly girl-sample, & slower, clearer vocals – probably the best single-appeal for me.  It’s good to see Future try different deliveries on the atmospheric, beat-switching “Baptiize”.  Some catchy slower-tempo beats & less-repetitive hooks, fit his autotune acrobatics well and are good distractions from his less-than-stellar verses, like “Tricks On Me” & the Travis Scott-featured “First Off”.

Problem is, 1^st single “Crushed Up” should’ve been an early indication that Future’s still focused on watches, diamonds, drugs, models, foreign cars, & threatening cops over boring generic trap beats.  “Stick to the Models” is endless corny trap-triplet flows, and ignorantly/angrily sounds mad at females; while “Overdose” over-uses adlibs & is occasionally off-beat is more a train-wreck.  Stepping away from bridges & numerous hooks, “F&N” presented a chance to impress me with 32 straight bars – but his delivery bores, and there’s only so much lean, choppers, bitches in his bed, & foreign trucks I can stand.  The cocky “Talk Shit Like A Preacher” is probably his worst lyrics (and most negative influence) I’ve heard of his career.  20 tracks of this same gear, starts to feel mind-numbing & heavily drags.

Conclusively, I only liked 7 songs of 20, so I’m grading ‘Presents THE WIZRD’ as below-average.  Too streamlined, too similar, too comfortable, too drug-glorifying, & too lazy.  His hazy, melodic, spacey-trap at times can be catchy – so I don’t doubt Future’s impact can still be there; especially when he experiments, finds good guest features, & candidly opens up about the consequences of his drug abuse.  Yet with the world of rap & pop changing, Future’s unadventurous, unprogressive tunes continue a trend of music that’s getting more repetitive with each listen… and doesn’t feel too *futuristic*.  Nonetheless, the good tracks I recommend are: “Promise U That”, “Never Stop”, “Krazy But True”, Baptiize”, & “Call The Coroner”.

MY FINAL VERDICT:

2 STARS (out of 6)