Tag Archive for 't-pain'

Lil Wayne - Mrs. Officer - “I Said Lady What’s Your Number, She Said 911″

Published
by
neal
on November 19, 2008
in Music Videos
. 0 Comments

I give Lil Wayne a hard time here at the AudioShocker, I really do. I’ve also said that 2008 has been the year of Weezy, T-Pain, and their joint reign of vocoder terror. That said, sometimes you hear a new song on the radio by an artist you don’t particularly care for and it gets you sprung. As I was driving home the other night, I caught wind of Mrs. Officer feat. Bobby Valentino (another hot/cold artist in my book) and I had to tell you all about it.

The Track: Tell me you don’t like Valentino’s weeohweeohweeohwee cop call chorus thing. I love it — almost as much as I love Weezy for NOT using a vocoder on this. That is huge for me. Maybe the vocoder is done for 2008? The beat is laid back and I’m actually pretty surprised this was not released as a summer jam, would have been big.

And the rhymes!! I can’t hate - Weezy keeps it hot.

She know I’m raw, she know I’m from the streets // And all she want me to do is fuck the police

And after we got done, I said lady what’s your number she said 911

Breakfast in bed turn into breakfast and head (this verse isn’t in the video)

The obligatory negatory: Wayne has taken up an affectation that I am dubbing ‘The Dorian Self-Laugh’; it was first brought to light by Dr. Cox on Scrubs. Zack Braff’s J.D. did this stupid self laugh whenever he made a joke and no one else thought it was funny. Well, Weezy has been doing the same thing recently - after every. single. line. Other examples? Check T-Pain’s Can’t Believe It and Mike Jone’s Cuddy Buddy. It’s like the new delay double and I find it similarly bothersome. Hopefully, Mr. Carter will grow out of it quickly. However, given his repertoire of vocoder hits this year, it may be a while.

The Video: Hot cops may be cliche, but they make for an entertaining video. I mean who hasn’t wanted to get it on with a Hot Cop? Ladies and Lads alike. It’s the basis for an entire genre of porn. Frisking hot perps? I want to do that. Mugshot modeling? I’ve seen it before, but I still chuckled. 3 hot cop dancers and squad cars? Yeah, I can suspend disbelief. Obviously this isn’t anything groundbreaking or new, but it’s easily digestible fluff that I can watch it more than once.

While somewhat unrelated, I disliked that the 2nd video Comfortable used the same video treatment/model. I am of the mind that videos self contained packages that can stand on their own. But Comfortable is easy to ignore, so it’s all good.

The Bottom Line: Perhaps this is some of that ‘change we can beleive in’

Podcast Episode 056 - Beer Goggles Are Dangerous

Published
by
nick marino
on November 18, 2008
in Comics, Movies, Music and Podcast Episodes
. 0 Comments

Quantum of Solace would be better on valium, James Bond seriously needs some gadgets, the Bond girls are boring, All I Want is pathetic but it has typewriters, even T-Pain’s top hat can’t ruin the Ludacris video “One More Drink,” the new Star Trek trailer makes Neal excited, and he wraps up his half with a review of a WSJ review of Slumdog Millionaire.

Then Nick takes over to discuss Uncanny X-Men #165-#175, the “From the Ashes” run by Chris Claremont and Paul Smith. Nick dissects their work, identifying the artistic nuances that make Smith’s pencils so incredible while noting how Claremont introduced so many classic X-Men elements in such a short space of time.

 
 AudioShocker #56 [34:24m]: Play Now | Download

FNMTV - Gym Class Heroes, The Game, We The Kings, Solange

Published
by
neal
on August 18, 2008
in Music Videos
. 0 Comments

It’s hard in these streets. That’s the only real excuse I have for not writing this post on Saturday. You know the deal: MTV debuts new videos during FNMTV and I tell you what I think. Easy peasy

Gym Class Heroes - Cookie Jar
I hope this is supposed to be a joke. The ‘white background video’ returns with a vengeance, a vocoder, and shitty synth line. If The Cool Kids are a bunch of lame scene kids - then what the eff is this? I just can’t take any part of this seriously, not with homeboy’s bull nose ring.

The Game - My Life (ft. Lil Wayne)
Game is such a drama queen. Is his life really that hard? Wait till the end where he smears a cross on his chest - in blood. Seriously, how effing into yourself are you? You are not John Lennon, Biggie, or Jesus. And who name drops Kanye twice on a track? As if that weren’t enough, Lil Wayne rides shotgun with a vocoder. Weezy is giving T-pain a run for his money.

We The Kings - Check Yes Juliet (Live)
I’ve never even heard of these oldboys, but it sounds a lot like Panic at the Disco. In other words: they are probably popular, but not for any logical reason.

Solange - Sandcastle Disco
Solange is Beyonce’s sister in case you didn’t know. The song is pretty breezy - but hey, it’s a song about a DJ, I expected as much. Yeah, this is a “white background video”, but I like it more than others I have seen recently. Overuse of CG? Perhaps, but I dig the whole mod/60’s thing. We both know this could have been done way worse.

The Bottom Line: The Game needs to stop feeling himself so much. He is no longer relavant in my musical sphere.

FNMTV - Rope Chains, Capri Pants, Duffy, and More

Published
by
neal
on June 26, 2008
in Music Videos
. 0 Comments

It’s time for another round of FNMTV bashing - courtesy of yours truly. In case you missed last week’s post, MTV recently added a new segment called Friday Night MTV as a venue for video premiers and live performances. This salvo of music television begs to be discussed - because it is so clearly bottom of the barrel - but not in a formal video review manner. Consider these video review ‘quickies’.

Lil Mama - I’m What It Is (Strike a Pose)

Old skool rope chains, T-Pain sans vocoder channeling the pied piper, and Missy Elliot style antics make for a pretty kid-friendly video. I wouldn’t hesitate to show this to an 8 year old.

Boys Like Girls - Thunder

The band members all have similar haircuts to other bands, they sing slow and deep at first and then jump up an octave to belt out the chorus. Flashback / performance videos like this are boring. If I want to relive getting drunk in high school and doing dumb townie shit… I’ll look out my window at the douchebag highschoolers on summer vacation.

Shawty Lo - Foolish (Remix)

DJ Khaled has never been on a decent track, so this was doomed from the beginning. Morever, what self respecting rapper wears a beater when he has a gut - and for that matter CAPRIS? I’m not even watching the rest of this video. 39 seconds in and I am over it. I won’t even mention that Baby, AKA The Birdman, drops a vocoder verse.

Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma

This actually did not suck. The whole thing reminded of a Wes Anderson movie- but one that didn’t suck. In fact, if all of Wes Anderson’s stuff was this short and pithy - Nick and I might like the guy a lot more.

Duffy - Mercy (Live)

I don’t know much about Duffy, but her voice is definitely an acquired taste. I can get into the track, but I’d like it more if it were by another vocalist. ZING! Other than that, this ain’t much to write home about. Here is the original video.

Lil Wayne - A Milli (Live)

It’s no secret that I’m not a huge fan of Lil Wayne’s recent records - but apparently he gets crowds hype. And really, how can I disagree with that? If you can rock ‘em right, you must be doing something right. He did race through the song though - he was def in a hurry to get out of there.

That’s it ladies and gents. You don’t have to go home - you can stay and comment here!

Usher - There Is No Love In This Club

Published
by
neal
on April 9, 2008
in Music Videos
. 2 Comments

Sorry ladies and gents, it has been a long month and I apologize for not posting anything recently. I have this “day job” and it would be unkind to blog while on the clock. But, I am back like cooked crack.

Usher just dropped a new video: Love In This Club, perhaps you have heard of it. By now, you should be familiar with our criteria: beat, video, content, and vocals.

The Beat: When I first heard this, I thought I was listening to the world’s worst house / trance / techno / whatever track. The piano doesn’t fit and either does the dance breakdown. While it screams “remix me a million times”, I can not get into it. Yeah may have been the last good beat that Usher had - and that was a Lil Jon production!

The Video: Usher really must dig Jacksons, because this is not his first mini-movie music video. The concept: Usher hallucinates some cute girl in an empty club, parties with an bunch of celebrity cameos, does a little dance, and then magically she’s gone along with the club and he’s standing in a pile of rubble. Yup, totally ridiculous. It’s kind of like the Usher Raymond version of Thriller - only the girl is in control, there aren’t any zombies, and there is no redeeming or comedic value to it.

The cameos were irrelevant and homeboy jocs Kanye’s style. The sunglasses, the black leather jacket and outfit - all stolen from the Good Life video. Of course, Kanye cosigns with his cameo, so maybe it isn’t a big deal. The video overuses lens-flares more than the new Danity Kane joint and has an orange cast to it. Also, what is with the chains that the girls keep giving out? I don’t think that is ever explained.

On the positive side, the video doesn’t rely on product placement or slow closeups of iced out watches. Although, there was a great opportunity to plug Louboutin heels that went unutilized.

The Content: I won’t spend time on the chorus because there is nothing to say, though I will take issue Jeezy’s mediocre verse.

‘Bout to hit the club make a movie yeah rated R… blah blah blah something about being a trap star.

Jeezy, you really couldn’t find something to rhyme with Rated X? I’ve been to weddings with more scandalous dance floors than your average R-rated movie.

Also - ‘on the floor’ of the club? Have you ever looked at the floor of a nightclub? It’s gross. I’m fairly sure if you stare at the floor long enough you’ll contract the clap.

The Vocals: Does anyone really dig Jeezy’s flow? I do not. Usher could have gotten a much slicker MC to do the verse. I vote for Young Joc. T-Pain’s Bartender may have the Vocoder Virus - but it was infinitely better than this.

The Bottom Line: Seriously Usher Raymond, what the hell? This is by far the worst track I have heard this year. Crappy beat, ridiculous chorus, bad verses, poorly lit and photographed video, etc etc etc. The list just keeps on going. I’m sorry to hate so much, but I can’t help it!

Have a different point of view? Tell me all about it below!

Mariah Carey - You Can Touch My Body

Published
by
neal
on March 5, 2008
in Movies
. 0 Comments

The Emancipation of Mimi was a pretty big comeback success considering Carey’s somewhat public breakdown a few years ago. It allowed us to finally bury the hatchet and get over Glitter. Anyway, Mariah’s new joint Touch My Body just landed and features Jack McBrayer of 30 Rock fame. Do the beat, video, content, and vocals hold water? Let’s find out!

The Beat: While it was produced by Tricky Stewart, (Umbrella) I doubt you’ll be hearing the studio cut in the clubs anytime soon. This beat is mellower and more subdued than his other work (Me Against the Music and B2K’s Uh Huh). Personally, I need more knock, a faster tempo, and less synth mashing.

The Video: Oh Kenneth! Is this the only role you know how to play? Mariah and Jack play dressup while romping through her house and his fantasy. Mariah is no stranger to campy videos (Heartbreaker, Honey, etc) so it all made perfect sense to me. Of note: no backup dancers.

I don’t care what anyone says, Mariah looks damn good! Did you know she’s going to be 39 this year? I also just discovered that she and I share a birthday. Mariah - interested in a joint party?

Lastly, I doubt that Mariah is familiar with 802.11n, and last time I checked it was still a draft protocol, but what do I know?

The Content: Yeah, yeah, it’s a throwaway love song. Fine, but you can’t deny the genius of the lines:

If there’s a camera up in here then I best not catch this flick on YouTube

Church! seriously people, YouTube is no place for your personal business. Save it for RedTube.

Boy you can put me on you like a brand new white T / I’ll hug your body tighter than my favorite jeans

Hands down, the best line of the entire track.

…’cause I’m all up in my business like a Wendy interview

Classic! I can’t stand Wendy Williams.

Imagine, all that - and I haven’t even gotten to sexy stuff!

The Vocals: Mariah is best known for being able to hit crazy high notes. Sadly, age has taken its toll and like so many others she too has resorted to the vocoder. At first I thought it was just a weird double - but no dice. To her credit, she doesen’t use the demon-box to hit high notes or commit Cher & T-pain grade felonies. I can appreciate that.

The Bottom Line: The Voice is looking good despite an unexciting beat, a campy video involving a unicorn, and a vocoded delivery lacking her signature high notes.

I (almost) Love (Natasha Bedingfield) Like This

Published
by
neal
on January 7, 2008
in Music Videos
. 0 Comments

Apparently, I missed a lot of 2007 music videos. Let’s take a minute to discuss Natasha Bedingfield’s Love like this, featuring Sean Kingston. We will consider four criteria: the beat, the video, the content, and the vocals. Ready? Lets go!

The Beat: I like it, plain and simple. The piano plays well off of the backbeat. It won’t win a Grammy for production - but it’s catchy and has replay value. Will you be humming this tomorrow after 4 listens? Possibly.

The Video: Light, breezy, and its got a motorcycle! What is not to like? I think they are even partying in a pool at the end. How cool is that? (I haven’t seen that since Mandy Moore’s breakout Candy)The video suits the song pretty well, so it is pretty hard for me to fault it. Bedingfield looks a lot like Kristen Bell in this video - and I sort of dig that. Our favorite reader Ro noted that the video-guy is “very very hot,” and lastly, could Kingston rock a larger chain? It looks like he has a gilded UPS box around his neck.

The Content: It’s a love song. No deep metaphors, no witty punchlines (even from Kingston), or anything similar. While I like my songs to be witty, this is pop music - not a Common record. No major complaints here.Vocoder Awareness Ribbon

The Vocals: You would think that a video that shoots 3/3 would have no problem making a slam dunk right? WRONG. Natasha, this little pop package was perfect until you had to go and wreck it with a Vocoder. Granted, Bedingfield’s offense is a minor misdemeanor compared to T-Pain’s felonious rapsheet , but it was totally unnecessary.

The Bottom Line? An otherwise very decent pop video is marred by the pervasive Vocoder Virus. If the Vocoder is not a deal breaker for you than this is pretty decent pop music; refreshing considering our last video review.

That’s all I got. Keep it gully.