This Is New Africa: Fuse ODG unveils mission to change the world's perception of his motherland through music

He burst onto the scene back in 2013 with the infectious song Atenna which helped launch afrobeats in the UK chart. But keen to prove he wasn't a one hit wonder, Fuse ODG unleashed the monster of a track Azonto which went onto to become a massive dance craze. 

Now with the release of his debut album, TINA, the 26-year-old rapper is hoping his music will change the world's perception of Africa. Speaking to Empty Ice Cream Tub about the release, which is an acronym for This Is New Africa, Fuse revealed that the journey to the creating the LP was a life changing experience.

Letter To TINA

The MOBO Award winner said of his choice to become an afrobeats artist: 'It was a conscious decision to reconnect with my African roots and African music so I could bring it to people outside of Africa in an authentic way.

'I took that decision in 2011 when I went to Ghana and I was learning about the culture again and learning about the music.'

Continuing he added: 'But I realised that it actually became bigger than what I was going to do when I started to share my story of Africa as it started to inspire other people and that's actually how TINA came to me.

'I realised that there has to be something that encapsulates what Africa is now and not the old Africa that they keep showing, and that is how This Is New Africa came fruition.'

Born in London but raised in Ghana, Fuse ODG, real name Nana Richard Abiona, came to capital at the age of 11 to begin his secondary education an experience which he admits was difficult and scarred his perception of his African heritage. However it was an eye-opening trip back to his motherland three years ago which set his music career in motion and his need to showcase his view of the continent.

TINA

Alongside the likes of D'Banj, Wizkid, Ice Prince, Sarkodie, P Squared and Davido, to name a few, Abiona has played a crucial role in helping afrobeats into the mainstream. Explaining how it feels to be a part of the movement which is changing the clubbing scene, the rapper asserted: 'Right now being African is so cool and it's because all these platforms are playing our music.

'Trust me when I was growing up if afrobeats was as big as it is now my school life would have been so much easier. Growing up in the UK would have been so much easier, I would have felt more proud to be African.'

He added: 'When I go to clubs and I hear African music being played like as part of the main playlist to me it just means that we're moving forward as a continent, we're moving forward as Africans and it's not just the negative impression that they used to have, we've given them other stuff to talk about.'

With four top ten singles under his belt, Fuse's debut body of work TINA was released to rave reviews and features collaborations with Wyclef Jean, Sean Paul, Angel, Krept & Konan and G FrSH. Describing the LP in his own words, the Antenna hitmaker said the album is made up of 'feel good songs' embedded with messages. 

Fuse added: 'It's an album that showcases my experiences of Africa just packaged in a form of music.'

Come Closer

Three Things Beyoncé Taught Us In 2014

Following the spontaneous release of her fifth solo album in 2013, Beyoncé Knowles was destined to have an epic 2014. No doubt her most explosive year yet, EmptyIceCreamTub looks back at what Queen Bey has taught us over the last 12 months...

1. How To Throw A Party

Ringing in the new year with an uber stylish bang, the Carter-Knowles clan threw a New Years Eve party to shut down all others. Hiring the Versace mansion, the dance floor at the soirée was filled with some of the world’s hottest supermodels, musicians and fashion designers. Beyoncé and husband Jay Z then made a sleek exit from their bash on a scooter where they headed to P Diddy’s extravaganza.

2. Composure

In May sensational footage surfaced which saw Solange Knowles launch a vicious attack on her brother-in-law Jay Z as they departed a Met Gala afterparty via a lift. Standing in the middle of the fight, the 33-year-old kept her cool and did nothing as her younger sister turned violent. Upholding her royal standards, Queen Bey merely pulled her dress aside while her bouncer played the role of Olivia Pope. Months after the ordeal Beyoncé addressed the fight in the remix of her single Flawless, where she asserted: ‘Of course sometimes s**t go down, when it’s a billion dollars on an elevator!’

3. Dancing In A T-shirt & Knickers Is Cool

Rounding up the year on a high, Beyoncé proved she wasn’t done yet with the release of 7/11, which made dancing in knickers and oversized jumpers and T-shirts officially cool. Not only that but the visuals also taught us that hotels make for great music videos and we never ever have to worry about tidying our rooms again but most importantly to never drop that alcohol!

*Bonus* Fringes Don't Always Work
Even as the Queen the crown may sometimes slip and one may fall short of perfection. This was certainly the case in October when Beyoncé touched down in London for Frieze Week. Accompanied by hubby Jay Z and their daughter Blu Ivy, there was a collective sigh from hairstylists throughout the globe as the Flawless singer showed off her new barnet. A couple inches too short and in serious need of John Frieda's Frizz Control, Beyoncé's bangs sent the Twittersphere into frenzy as fans and critics alike tried to get their heads around the short fringe. But regaining control it didn't take long for Beyoncé to realise her hair no-no and she quickly returned to her sleek long locks.

30 Seconds In The Mind Of...

Lord HBK

Hailing from the east side of that city known as London, this rare breed of talent describes himself as supercalifragilisticexpialidocious alongside being inquisitive, giving and hard-headed. Having emerged on the scene earlier this year with his debut single, No Rules, not a lot is known about this young rapper, so I'm here to change all that. 

Presenting the one and only mind of Lord HBK... 

What couldn't you live without? 
I couldn't live without my Mac; laptop that is. I do everything on it from music to watching films, writing, reading, educating myself and so on. It died on me once and I was lost.

What would you say is your worst habit?
Hmmm... I don't have one! (Laughs) Probably that, the fact that I don't think I have a worst habit says it all.

What do you find really annoying in other people?
I can't stand unoriginality.  It's annoying putting so much work into something and then it gets stolen or critiqued by people who are lazy.

What is your guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasure (laughs) I have quite a few. But for now I'd say Beyonce. She's sick! But I can't see her live alone because (pauses) you know.

What would be your dream job?
My dream job other than music would be being Ari Gold.

ONE thing that no-one knows about you...

I like to go out and eat at nice restaurants alone.

Lord HBK's favourites

Song
Stole by Kelly Rowland

Video

Site
Soundcloud

You can follow Lord HBK on TWITTER or check out his INSTAGRAM page

Also check out his latest music video #CoralPearl below

Talking For Talking Sake

As the phrase goes 'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all' but then where's the fun in that?

Like alot of you, I just wasted 12 minutes of my life watching Beyonce's short film and honestly I don't get why she keeps doing this.

If you're going to make a short film/documentary then please make it worthwhile and let the viewers leave with feeling they learnt something new.

I am, although I don't like to admit it, a big Beyoncé fan but I for one am so tired of her vanity projects, like we know you're beautiful, especially when shot in greyscale, we know you have found a new level of happiness and confidence and yes we are happy for you but would you for once just actually be real.

I almost feel embarrassed for her as she's trying so hard to build a whole new "more intimate" connection with her fans but it's coming across very scripted and way too thought out.

Obviously she can't be a Rihanna or Kim Kardashian, who tweet and Instagram every moment of their lives, but at least if you wanna give us a bit of the personal do it in an authentic way and she can start by actually uploading snaps taken on her iPhone instead of those images from her crystal clear Canon - you ain't fooling nobody!

I feel for Beyoncé as she's that MJ level of celebrity where anything extra beside the music that ends up in the public domain is very calculated and we're now in a generation of spontaneity which is something she clearly hasn't quite grasped the concept of.

Like she's said time and time again she's a perfectionist meaning she has no business teasing us by jumping on IG and Twitter as it's not something she knows how to work well.

Also it's a thing where if she's not gonna let us all the way in then please don't open the front door, heck don't even peep through the curtain and tease us.

I know I'm going on a bit here but it's so frustrating that she keeps alluding to things but then only touches on the surface which now has me thinking she's lying about something because she goes on about all the things she has been through but gives no specifics.

Additionally I was not here for Beyoncé: The Feminist, who then went ahead and called her tour Mrs Carter *sips tea* and I'm definitely not here for Beyoncé: The Humanist - stop trying to sound all conscious and act like you're truly affected by issues, like just sing and use sex appeal to make money.

All in all Beyoncé needs to stop talking and sharing her thoughts and feelings if she isn't game for saying something I actually want to hear, and just to be clear the elevator incident between Solange and Jay Z should be top of the list on her talking points next time she wants to bring out something that isn't a music video!

Fresh From The Editing Suite...

 PBGR - Mind Ur Step

So PBGR are a duo from east London I have been rocking with for quite some time now for the simple fact that their music bangs!

On Friday evening they dropped the latest visual off their debut album, The Black Market, which if you haven't heard yet you should definitely go and check out it.

Their new video is for the song called Mind Ur Step, which is a collaboration with Mo The Artist, now to be honest it's not one of my favourite tracks but I think, as with many songs I tend not to initially gravitate towards, the video has ignited a new found love for the song.

Execution is the key word for this post as it's an area where PBGR and their camp excel, the quality of this video, which was put together by New Arts, is actually crazy and although it's not a long clip it's definitely packs punch.

The storyline is clear and straight to the point with no confusion and the performance shots are effortlessly sleek which compliments the overall look of their new project.
 

But never ones to keep their following in the dark for too long, the boys also put out a new track named Humble Pie just hours after releasing the Mind Ur Step video to once again show and prove that they're more than capable of stepping up to the plate.

Take a listen and let me know your thoughts...

 
Again, The Black Market is available now on Soundcloud and my favourite track from the LP is SMW, which features the very talented Miss Miraa May, who also dropped a track on Friday evening called Voicemail - check it out below and let me know your thoughts.
 

Too Late To Apologise?

So as we all know on Sunday Chris Brown headed over to Instagram and aired out his ex-bae Karrueche Tran's dirty laundry for the world to see. 

With the help of a dissertation of a caption Brown informed fans, haters and everybody in between about their former bedroom antics and Miss Tran's jetsetting lifestyle *raises tea cup and takes a sip*

Realising his wrongdoing it didn't take long for the Loyal *takes another sip* singer to delete the post which he then followed with several irrelevant uploads, and clearly after a talk with his "advisors", who are yet to inform Chris that he is too much of a loose cannon to be on social media, he posted the following...

Now I don't for one moment doubt, similar to the post where he put her on blast, that Chris' apology is heartfelt however the damage has been done and it's definitely too late for apologises. I for one hoped the public naming and shaming would continue and as I noted in my previous post I was hoping that both Drake and Rihanna would pour some more fuel on the fire.

But seeing as that is seeming less likely to happen what I will say is that the following points I agree with Chris about regarding his apology are 1. Yes he is dumb and 2. He is way too emotional but at 25 he is old enough to know better especially given he faced a lot worse in his last serious relationship *puts the kettle on*

Meanwhile...

To be honest once upon a week ago I felt bad for Karrueche but she has allowed herself to be publicly shamed way too many times for any sympathy to be issued.I'm not going to go into too much detail but my biggest problem with Miss Tran is the fact she let people think she was the side chick when in fact she was the main chick while her man went galavanting with his ex-girlfriend which is something I'm still trying to get my head around.Anyway here's what she had to say on Twitter about the current situation with her IG account...

All in all there just really isn't enough tea in the world for any situation that involves Chris Brown because he doesn't understand the art of keeping it cute!

It just Got Very REAL!

Right so I have not blogged in ages and over the last few weeks I have been considering relaunching this blog and thanks to my fellow Team Taurus mate Chris Brown I'm back!

Now less than 12hrs ago I was telling my colleagues that there needs to be an emergency meeting to get Mr Brown removed from the Taurus gang as he was giving us a bad name, however following his recent Twitter and Instagram posts I'm reconsidering that notion.

Please pay close attention to the following three exhibits...

...And just in case you was not sure who he was referring to because a lot of you don't like to keep up...

Well I have to be up for church in like 4hrs and I need some time to let this well and truly marinate but what I need to happen by the time I wake up can be one or all of the following options:

A. Karrueche needs to respond

B. Drake needs to explain why he is the biggest sideman of the decade

C. Rihanna should just say something because it'd be rude not to

Finally...

D. Chris Brown should reveal some more about their relationship 

As we all know there are several sides to a story (and even more when Drake is involved - it's not everyday sometimes find your own girl) and before Chris went IN, Miss Tran had a few words of her own which of course I have kindly listed below...

ps. Please excuse any typos I just had to say something, lol!

2012 So Far...

Whitney Houston

The music world stood still again last Saturday when it was announced that Whitney Houston had passed away. The I Will Always Love You singer was found submerged in her bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel by a member of her entourage and pronounced dead on the scene, she was only 48-years-old.

Whitney leaves behind her 18-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina and a stack of hits for us music lovers who will be mourning the loss of a music great. With her death comes much negativity regarding the role a painful drug addiction had to play in her life, and until we know for certain the cause of her untimely death let's remember Ms. Houston for the music she blessed us with - R.I.P. Whitney Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012).


Whitney Houston - It's Not Right But It's Okay

_________________________________________________________________

Blue Ivy Carter

At just over one month old Blue Ivy Carter has to be the world's most famous baby, kicking her rival Harper Seven to the curb the princess of music icons Beyonce and Jay Z has arrived.

First time parents welcomed their bundle into the world on January 7th but kept the world on our toes as we waited for a glimpse of the heir to throne, but then on February 10th the power couple released five very intimate snaps of their pride and joy.

Opting out of the traditional million dollar magazine spread they posted the pictures of their daughter on Tumblr site dedicated to her - helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com

_________________________________________________________________

Just as she finally got rid of that horrid red thing and went to seek refuge with a brown weave, Rihanna has let me down again by deciding to get involved in a blonde mess...



Which just reminds me of...

Wait! Do you see it now...

 No?

_________________________________________________________________

Not a massive Madonna fan myself but I did really enjoy watching this performance, although as she's 53-years-old I don't appreciate seeing so much of her skin.

Other than the fact she lip synced during the entire performance I do feel she gave it her all, I thoroughly enjoyed the way the tracks were mixed during the 13 minute show and the fact she brought my home boys LMFAO on stage to party rock with her put a massive smile on my face *shuffles*

For the halftime spectacular she also "sang" her new single 'Give Me All Your Luvin'' alongside Nicki Minaj & M.I.A. which overall was pretty awful, nothing can save that song but M.I.A. managed to amped up the lacklustre performance by flipping the bird to millions of viewers - good times.

Finally Madonna wrapped up the showing with Ceelo Green who in my opinion saved the entire thing because his vocals on 'Like A Prayer' were so on point.

_________________________________________________________________

Nicki Minaj - Stupid Hoe

It's official Nicki Minaj has lost the plot! However you have to admire the hype she continues to generate as she managed to make history on Vevo with her latest video which gained over 4.8 million viewers in 24 hours but all I have to say on this is ... NEXT!!

Something I Think You Should Hear...

*** UPDATED ***

J. Cole - Cole World: The Sideline Story

Cole World: The Sideline Story is finally here and as a J. Cole fan I'm very proud. He's definitely held it up for us fans of The Come Up, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights (and more recently Any Given Sunday).

So of course because I pre-ordered his album my copy came through the door on Saturday, but I held off on the album review because I didn't want to prematurely judge his debut record based off of what I already adore about Cole's talent. 

This album is perhaps the best example of the type of masterpiece that can only be put together with pure control over your project, unlike (and yes I'm going to say it) the efforts of Wiz Khalifa & Nicki Minaj, who had the mixtapes to stand up on but failed to deliver the album music lovers and not lovers of the hype were expecting.


Cole Talks About The Sideline Story

The Sideline Story has a nice hip hop/soul sound to it, with the right balance of mellow, mid-tempo and club bangers which all stand up lyrically, within this album there is also a certain level of consciousness that Cole makes coherent throughout each track.

The album begins with a much needed introduction which leads nicely into the first song, 'Dollar and a Dream III' which basically sums up how J. Cole perceives his musical struggle up until this point. Then there are tracks such as 'Mr. Nice Watch' and 'Can't Enough' which most would say isn't typical Cole as they definitely get you moving but they stay true to form as they are packed with witty punchlines. The album also consists of tracks like 'Lost Ones', 'Never Told' and 'Nobody's Perfect' which explore topics rooted within the motions we go through when in love or faced with hardship.


J. Cole - Daddy's Little Girl

The elements that stood out massively with this album is Cole's attention detail; I'm such a big music lover and I truly believe you can hear how much time and effort an artist has put into a song to make it the best it can be.With tracks like 'In The Morning' and 'Lights Please' which are now Cole classics he took the time to rework them by adding and removing parts of the instrumental to make them exciting to old listeners.

As my favourite track from the album doesn't have a video yet but it's about to surface as Cole and Missy have started putting visuals to the track, I've put up the visual for my second - actually third favourite track from the album.

J. Cole - Lost Ones

Let me know what you think of Cole World: The Sideline Story

Something I Think You Should Hear...

*** UPDATED! ***

Frank Ocean - Nostalgia/Ultra

Now I don't know a lot about Frank Ocean and Odd Future, but what I do know is this mixtape is a great starting point for Mr. Ocean's career.

What I won't say is that Frank Ocean is original because every artist draws influence from someone but Ocean's music is very refreshing and if he makes all the right moves he'll definitely be one of the heavy hitters before 2011's over.

Nostalgia/ULTRA is a good mixtape because it's just good music, he has original tracks and he has taken samples from some unlikely tunes but he's made it work. I can't say that I can relate to everything he is singing about but it's that raw realness that makes this mixtape a good'un. My hopes for Frank Ocean is that he continues to stay on this high, release more music and don't change for the sake of making an album that can appeal to all because that's not what it's about.

Favourites on this mixtape are 'Nature Feels', 'We All Try' and the song below 'Swim Good'.

Frank Ocean - Swim Good

Let me know what you think about Nostalgia/ULTRA

I Literally Can't Get Enough!!

I LOVE THIS SONG...


J. Cole - Can't Get Enough feat. Trey Songz

Yeah and if you're wondering that is Rihanna...

Exclusive!



Why So Serious?



I recently caught up with Chipmunk at the Mercy Prize Awards, and he's revealed that he will be changing his to Chip.

The Champion rapper who is currently taking a break from recording music has said he has decided to shorten his stage name, and knock off the ‘munk’.

When asked what he planned to change his name to, he said, ‘It would only be Chip. If I do it will just be Chip.’

This is a tried and tested method in hip-hop with several rappers choosing to change their names to represent growth, or to purely stay relevant.

The likes of pint size rapper Lil Bow Wow, got rid of the ‘Lil’ in 2003. Southern rapper T.I. seems to have trouble deciding whether to remain as T.I. or to be TIP. Biggie Smalls ended up becoming The Notorious BIG.

But no-one has been more back and forth in the name changing game than mogul Sean Combs. He went from Puff Daddy to Puffy, then it was P. Diddy, and now it’s just Diddy.

Perhaps one day Chip, formerly known as Chipmunk will just be known as C.


Chipmunk - Hustle Hard

Fresh From The Editing Suite...

***UPDATED***

This post is dedicated to my little Sister - Happy Birthday!

I've gotta admit I'm quite pleased with myself with this edition of 'Fresh From The Editing Suite'.
It's like playing 6 degrees of seperation, the only artist who's missing from this is Beyonce.

Rihanna - Cheers

Although I do believe these are the laziest type of videos an artists can make I love them. Nothing beats seeing behind the scenes footage of all that goes on when these stars are on the road, especially when you're actually interested in what they get up to. 'Cheers' is yet another release from Rihanna's Loud album, and the video documents all she's been up to in the last few months. The video also shows her sporting her new hairstyle and colour which I'm really feeling; finally the red is dead and buried.



Nicki Minaj - Fly (feat. Rihanna)

Once upon a time I was a massive Nicki Minaj fan but since her "fashion" sense upgraded to crazy I've switched off. In this video she does well to rock a couple crazy looks, none of which help to put across the potentially inspiring story behind this song. The video isn't really anything special, and I'm really struggling to understand the bit when she goes all ninja on some dudes. And am I the only one who thinks the video was located on the exact same set as Chris Brown's video 'Next To You'; very coincidental.


Lil' Wayne - How To Love

So Tha Carter 4  is here. Anyway. Yeah the hype around Weezy is pretty much gone, and 'How To Love' isn't exactly the best song to use to try to resuscitate the hype. I know it's meant to be one of those deep tracks that make you think but I want a song I can dance to man. The story in the video good but it's been done before, that's not to say that any video treatments nowadays are unique but it could've been done in a refreshing way.


Jay Z & Kanye West - Otis

Ok, my hands are up, I was not excited about Jay & Kanye getting together to make an album because their bromance is a tad bit annoying. But it'd be rude not to appreciate the great music that they make when they hit the studio. 'Otis' unlike 'H.A.M.' is very enticing to the ear and also typical Kanye, and the added element of Jay Z makes it that much better. The video's fun to watch, like who doesn't want to see rappers "discreetly" show off how much money they have by making a video that doesn't have a lot to it.


J. Cole - Work Out

'Work Out' is definitely my favourite song in this bunch, what should I say about the brilliance that is J. Cole? Maybe I'll just start by saying he has smacked it, this is the feel good song of the summer (even though it's more or less over), this track makes going back to the office that bit more bearable, and it 100% gets you ready for the weekend. The video to accompany the track is pretty standard for Cole, not too much going on but you still wanna watch it to see what goes down. Looking forward to the album, which I shall be pre-ordering...COLE WORLD!!

And just in case you missed my six degrees of separation let me break it down for you:

Rihanna obviously features on Nicki Minaj's track, Nicki's part of Young Money which is Lil' Wayne's clique, Wayne and Jay Z have collaborated on tracks together and are the Mr. Carters, and then finally J. Cole was the first artist to be signed to Jay Z's label Roc Nation #SICK

Really Ouick

Baby BJ

Beyonce's done it again! No - not made an album full of monster hits, from which every single is destined for the top spot (that's the norm for this lady). What she done last night was even bigger...

She's announced that her and her husband (Jay Z - for those of you who might not have heard of him) are expecting their first child. Now we all know that bigger than two mega-celebrities getting hitched is two mega-celebrities breeding mini-mega-celebs...Shear madness!!

This is really exciting because Beyonce seemed like one of those women who really wasn't trying to get involved in all the baby-making. In fact, I recall her once saying she wasn't going to have children after witnessing the birth of her nephew. However, I guess it was one of those things you say when you don't see it happening, but boy is it all unfolding now.

More exciting than that is it seems that with the release of her current album, Beyonce's been keen to show us that she is actually a human (not the robot diva I once thought she was). Since the release of '4' we've seen her cry on stage, speak openly about her relationshipb with Jay Z, and she even said "I love me some Jay Z". Also we've seen alot more skin and less of those granny type skin colour tights that she loves. But yes, in proving that she's human having a baby pretty much tops the list.

In closing, I can't wait to see who's features the baby adopts, and more nail biting what are they gonna have? A boy? A girl? Twins...I'm thinking twins, one boy and one girl...On a serious note, I do wish the couple all the best at this glorious time.

Peep her latest video, which I have to say is probably my favourite Beyonce video yet, because I love the visuals:



Beyonce - 1+1

(I guess 1+1 = Baby - sorry I had to *covers face*)

Fresh From The Editing Suite

Jessie J - Who's Laughing Now

Obviously I do not like this song and I'm seriously losing rspect for Jessie J as an artist.
Ofcourse I'm proud of Jessie J for breaking into the industry the way she did but I really don't think the tracks she's chosen to release really show her true potential. Like I've said, I understand that everyone needs an image to base their talent on but I think Jessie J needs to tone it down. The message behind this song could've been done in a better way. Simples.

Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think x

Rest In Peace

Amy Winehouse

It's a sad day in the world of entertainment as we have lost a very bright star; Amy Winehouse, 27, sadly passed away today. Although official reports are yet to confirm the cause of death, it has to be said that only a hand few can say, 'they didn't see this coming.' The news of Winehouse's death has come as a shock, but at the same time it was only a matter of time before either she (seriously) admitted herself into rehab or died.

Nonetheless, the girl could sing, she was a delight to watch perform, and amongst all a real person. She'll be missed by many, and I really hope she recorded enough music before her untimely death, which will help her undeniable talent live on - R.I.P. Amy Winehouse (14th September, 1983 - 23rd July, 2011).

The song below was taken from her debut album, Frank and will always be my favourite song by her:

Amy Winehouse - Stronger Than Me

Rest In Peace

 

Michael Jackson

I can't believe it's been two years already. Who could forget the day the tragic news that legend Michael Jackson passed away at age 51. He will forever be an icon and it's only right I remember the genius. So below is one of my favourite MJ song - I hope you enjoy. R.I.P. Michael Jackson (29th August, 1958 - 25th June, 2009)

Michael Jackson - In The Closet

Fresh From The Editing Suite...

Frank Ocean -Novacane

If you don't know about Frank Ocean by now then I really have to ask where have you been?
This guy dropped one of 2011's sickest mixtapes a little while back, and he has managed to keep a pretty low profile which has kept us all wanting more. This song 'Novacane' is definitely one of my favourites from 'Nostaglia/ULTRA', and I'm so happy he decided to put some visuals to the words.
The video is nothing less than odd, but hey he is part of OFWGKTA, so what did we expect. I like that the video pushes the feeling of the high he experiencing in the song. The video also has a pretty cool ending too. I'm hoping a video for 'Nature Feels' surfaces soon, because that's my jam.



Kanye West - Monster ft. Rick Ross, Jay Z, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver

So footage for this single dropped about four months ago but it just didn't seem finished. Turns out I was right, the video wasn't complete. Above is the official video for Mr. West's biggest banger to date 'Monster'. This track is in itself a monster; it features too many heavy hitters, who each grace this track with some wicked verses. The video is classic Kanye - genius. I've probably said this before but he hands down has the best videography out there. The only criticism I have for this video is Nicki Minaj's lace wig - girl!

Nicola Roberts - Beat Of My Drum

There's no doubt that I prefer this debut single to those of Cheryl's and Nadine's. I like that Nicola is embracing her own style and her sound (unlike the other two it isn't outdated or fake). Now to get stuck in...There are three things I dislike a lot about this song and video (1) Diplo bumped her because certain beats in this song sound way too similar to those from Beyonce's latest single 'Run The World (Girls)'. (2) Nicola doesn't yet seem like she's all that comfortable making a video without four other girls. (3) Finally Nicola needs to leave some of the dance moves she attempts alone - bye girl, fly girl!

Be sure to leave comments and let me know what you think of this song, laters xx

Fresh From The Editing Suite...

Rihanna - Man Down

Do I like this video? I'm not sure. I'm not that fond of the song but I'm not sure at all about how I feel about the video. You guys already know where I stand in terms of Rihanna's red hair (GIRL!) I think the hair is way too long and the mermaid look is not working for me.

Now I totally get and respect the look Rihanna wanted to create for the video but whether or not it has worked is the question. I'm happy that she opted for a video with a narrative, and round of applause to her for the ability to hold up a powerful scene. 

I think what's troubling me here is whether the video's somewhat exploiting what happened to her a few years ago. Saying that I'm fully aware that what happened to her was on a whole  different spectrum of abuse, but I just don't know. Feel me in on your reactions to the video because I'm seriously undecided.

 

Be sure to leave comments and let me know what you think of this song, laters xx

B E Y O N C E ! !

***UPDATED!***

She's officially back...

Beyonce - Run The World (Girls)

So I'll be the first one to admit that when the snippet of this track first surfaced I didn't like it. Then the full version was "leaked" and I still didn't like it, and finally a re-worked version of it was released and it was a unanimous no from me. But being a true love to hate Beyonce fan, I waited for the video to surface before I finalised my decision. The video's here and she's done it again - she's won me over. I've been singing and dancing to this song nonstop, as if to say I wrote the single.

However (puts my I hate Beyonce hat on) I'm not feeling some of the outfits in this video. In fact I only like the black ensemble she wears in the first dance sequence with the two dudes. Other than that it's clear to see she's let her Mum start styling her again - not cool. Also I'm not feeling how she's catted both Gaga and Shakira, and I'm definitely not feeling the very Nicki Minaj face she pulls before the hook comes in.

Nonetheless (puts my I love Beyonce hat on) I like that the video's a bit out there for Beyonce and the dancing is fabulous. I'm also liking that we're seeing a deliberately sexy side of her, which adds a whole lot more human characteristics to her.

All in all, I'm impressed but I'm yet to be blown away. Saying that - check out the video below of her performance from the Billboard Awards (I'm semi-blown away):

Be sure to leave comments and let me know what you think of this song, laters xx