November 11, 2008
Whats so THRILLING and XCITING about this 4th Quarter of Studio, LP Releases, is the FACT that ALL of the Artists seem to be pulling out XTRA Stops, in order to further Push, Promote and Sell their albums to the Mainstream. From Brandy's most recent Tell-All interview with infamous, New York, Radio Personality, Angie Martinez, to Beyonce's World-Wide announcement on Friday regarding the RUMORS circulating the 'Push-Back' date of her Highly Anticipated, 3rd, Solo compilation, EVERYONE seems to be on their Hustle.....
As I have spent the past week Writing, Shooting Footage, Releasing Projects and continuing to PROMOTE Myself, as well as The YouTube and FaceBook pages, I have used TI's Sixth, Studio LP as a Mini-Soundtrack to my everyday regimine.
Slated to premiere in the Number ONE Spot of next week's Billboard Tally; following the Top-Spot sales positions of his 2006 and 2007 albums, KING and TI vs. TIP, Paper Trail had already sold a WOPPING 357,000 copies by Thursday, October 2nd. As the Top nine merchants who report their sales to Nielsen Soundscan have concluded, including Trans World Entertainment, Best Buy, Circuit City, ITunes, Starbucks, Borders, Target and Anderson Merchandisers; TI's latest compilation will probably tip the 550,000-575,000 Sales Mark before Soundscan closes at Midnight, Tonight.
Whats so Intriguing about TI's album, is the RAW essence of his Voice, the STRIPPED down humble factor of the lyrical content, as well as the Collaboration factor that adds a Thick Coating of Bitter-Sweet icing on the baked ingredients of each track. With the almost Simultaneous distribution of Four singles, including the Kanye produced, SWAGGER LIKE US, and the number ONE Billboard Favorite, WHATEVER YOU LIKE, TI has been on the hustle to contain control over his Title as the Southern KING of Hip-Hop. As he references himself on this album as the 'Best Thing Since Tupac', its hard to Argue the Self-Proclamation.
What TI has done with the frame of having to record the project during his house arrest stint on weapons charges, is that he transformed his Woes and personal Wounds, into a poignant archetype of Survival. He took full advantage of a situation where the Entire World was looking him Up and Down. He embodied the literature and spoken word of 'The Light that Shines at the End of the Dark Tunnel'...and has resurrected Supreme.
My FAVORITE TRACKS
I am MOST feeling the Star-Studded Collabos that Sprinkle as Highlight Material on this particular Album...
DEAD and GONE ft. Justin Timberlake
SLIDE SHOW ft. John Legend
ON TOP OF THE WORLD ft. Ludacris
LIVE YOUR LIFE ft. Rihanna
PORN STAR [Definitely an Evening with My Chardonnay]
TI and Rihanna are slated to shoot the Video for LIVE YOUR LIFE, in the coming week, or so. I HOPE to GOD that her stylist puts her in something OTHER THAN Black! Im so NOT a Rihanna Fan. However, I do think that her Style is very Fashion-Forward and Daring. Its Innovative, and that Thrills Me, FAR MORE than her Pedestrain Lyrics, and Train Wrecked Voice.
Whats ALL of The 'Hype'?
One of my Supporters from Philadelphia was KIND enough to send me a copy of Jennifer's SeLf-TiTlEd, DEBUT LP. I didnt want to purchase the album, for I wasnt as XCITED about the first two singles, SPOTLIGHT and POCKETBOOK, as Everyone else, 'Seems to Be'. I am just BEGINNING to embrace Jennifer as an artist, to be Honest. For those of you who have been with me for the past Year, KNOWS that I am NOT a Huge FAN of Jennifers acting ability. I had MAJOR issues with her garnering the Oscar for her role as Effie White. I DIGRESS...
Jennifers Voice, on this debut project is DEFINITELY a melodic coating of rapture, strength and power beyond belief. HOWEVER, I cant help but to feel as if Jennifer doesnt have a Solidified Spot amongst the mainstream of secular music, here in 2008. I KNEW, before even listening to the album, that it would NOT be filled with Radio-Friendly Favorites. I find her stance on the Timbaland produced, POCKETBOOK, to be utterly Ridiculous. Jennifer is Too Mature and Beyond Category to have been placed with such a Track. I KNOW that her record company, along with other collaborators, needed to have her perform a track that would possibly deliver that 'FreakemDress', 'Suga Mama' appeal. HOWEVER, Jennifer is simply NOT that type of artist. It seems as if the industry just DOESNT Know what to do with her. YES...Jennifer can Sing. I just dont think that she has that APPEAL Factor that's going to allow her to push the number of units, long-Term, that JIVE Records and her 'Adoring Fans' are hoping for.
My FAVORITE TRACKS
I'M HIS ONLY WOMAN ft. Fantasia
GIVING MYSELF OVER written & produced by ROBIN THICKE
Its only been within the past 6 months, that I have even paid this Brotha Attention. Im being Honest. Wayne grabbed my attention on the Club Circuit with his LOLLIPOP and AMILLI singles; both of which aided in his ability to push 2.5 million units of his latest, LP; during a time period where USHER nor MARIAH have been able to reprise their 2005 Album Success.
Riding on the FanFare Success and Critical Acclaim of his most recent compilation, Lil Wayne is already BACK in the Studio, recording his follow-up LP, Tha Carter IV. In accordance, to promote the release, he is also composing DEDICATION 3, a mixtape of TWENTY ADDITIONAL tracks, which will be made available, for FREE, on his website. This brotha is also in the studios, as we speak, aligning tracks for his 2009, collaborative release of T-WAYNE; an album that will Spotlight the Tag-Team efforts of He and Music Partner, T-Pain.
IF He can complete the projects before years end, I can definitely see him having ULTIMATE success during the First and Second Quarters of 2009.
...and She's BACK Bitchez!On Friday, BEYONCE released a statement to ALL of the Major Media Conglomerates, as well as to her Major, Cross-Cultured, Fan Base, to let EVERYONE know that her eagerly anticipated, untitled, Third, Solo LP, is STILL being released on November 18, 2008.
Whats so EXCITING about Beyonce's hustle at the moment, is the FACT that she is releasing TWO singles, SIMULTANEOUSLY, Next Tuesday, October 14, 2008. SINGLE LADIES and IF I WERE A BOY will premiere on radio stations across the country, in accordance with the MTV, BET and VH1 DUAL-Release of her Jake Nava, Directed Music Videos.
Some are saying that this album is going to CATERPAULT Beyonce's career into a Stratosphere of Boundless Proportions. Having recorded a wopping SEVENTY tracks over the past year, Beyonce has a great deal of material to piece together on this new album. My HOPE for Beyonce, as I have stated MANY times before, is that she focuses on the QUALITY of her singles, as oppose to the QUANTITY. If she remains Loyal to the Fans and True to her Artistry, then she WONT have to rerelease her album, with QUALITY singles, as she HAD to do to save the grace of 2006's, B-DAY. Beyonce is already aligning a Spring/Summer 2009 Tour, as to further promote the New Album.
Beyonce is presenting an AOL FIRST LISTEN concert/session in anticipation of this November 18th release, as she is having a Deluxe Edition of the album, released on the Same Day as the other units are distributed, nationwide. The Deluxe Edition will be comprised of an Unspecified number of singles that would usually be distributed, across seas, as Import and/or Promo Tracks. So, just like CREOLE, LOST YO MIND and other B-DAY leftovers seemed to find their way to Radio, YouTube, ITunes, etc., Beyonce is actually going to maintain Control of the additional songs, by having them packaged and sold, accordingly.
I am NOT a Huge Fan of Many Artists, at all. HOWEVER, when I see them putting forth XTRA ENERGY and XTRA EFFORTS in pursuit of Artistic GENIUS, I Cant help but to become Xcited for them as Musicians, Performers and Individual Talents. I look forward to Tracking the 4th Quarter sales of BEYONCE, BRITNEY, PINK, TI and BRANDY...
The HUSTLE is ON.
'Creation is Representation' [Xem; August 2008]
'Knowledge and Artistry ABOVE My own VANITY' [Xem; July 2008]
'Im Drenched in Love and Showered by Support'[Xem; April 2008]
'Life Without Photographs are Moments that Never Happened'[Xem; August, 2007]
505,000 Units $OLD!
This Week, BEYONCE has sold an additional 153,000 Copies of her, 'I AM SASHA FIERCE' LP. Placing in the Number THREE position of the Billboard 200, this brings BeYonce's three week Sales total to 885,000 Copies SOLD here in the United States.
KANYE WEST reigns in the Number FOUR position of the Billboard 200. Kanye has sold an additional 142,000 Copies of his '808 & HEARTBREAKS' LP; bringing his two week total to 592,000 Copies SOLD here in the United States.
Now...We AWAIT...First Week Sales Numbers from BRANDY and KEYSHIA COLE. Everyone is telling Me that Brandy's album is SIN.Sational. As a Long-Term Fan, I have not been AMAZED by the few tracks that I have heard. HOWEVER, as MANY of you, along with Syrai, has employed me to take a LONG, Uninterrupted Listen, I WILL give her 'HUMAN' project, the TIME and ATTENTION that it truly DESERVES.
I PREDICT that BRANDY will push 100,000 Units in her first week, as KEYSHIA COLE is sure to push 250,000 Units during her most promising, Xmas Shopping Week release.
