Can 'The Man' Stop Piracy?

Can "The Man" stop piracy? No. Piracy is like shoplifting. You know that it will always be around. You just try to minimize it as much as possible. But how?

The UK creative industries seem to think they can eliminate piracy by joining forces and lobbing the government. Will this work? I doubt it. It will result in the same results. They will file a class action lawsuit against a 20-something college student resulting in bad press for the industry.

I'm sorry but the industry needs to accept that they lost. Haven't they learned their lesson with Napster. They missed out on a huge opportunity (to Apple--iTunes). So, what now? What can be done now? The industry can learn from their mistakes and recognize the opportunities that are ahead. There has been some steps in the right direction--imeem, Spotify, etc. But its not enough to stop piracy. In fact, nothing will ever stop the "free mindset." But it can be minimized with more legal options for consumers, within the concept of being "free." [F]

Tracks of the Moment: Busta Rhymes, TI, Mary J., & Hollyweerd

Ok here is a post I will try to keep up every week. I need to discipline myself. But I'm not going to make vague promises, hence the name "Tracks of the Moment" instead of "Tracks of the Week" or "...Day."

"Decision"

Busta Rhymes ft. Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx, John Legend, & Common

First up is Busta Busta. He teams up with Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx, John Legend, and Common on "Decision." I know. It sounds like he couldn't "decide" on who to sing the hook, but the appeal of the track transcends any chance of the track being over-done. It's a beautiful track that is timely and soothing. I don't smoke, but it's one of those songs that you just sit back and light up a blunt to relax after a stressful day at work. Hmmm!

TI ft. Mary J. Blige--"Don't Forget"

TI follows suit with another duet with Mary J. on "Don't Forget." And the hook is definately "unforgettable." I love it. Its another track thats reflective in nature, and of course The Queen brings the song to new heights. I definately won't forget.

Hollyweerd--"Automatic Classic"

Last but not least is the future of hip hop, Hollyweerd's "Automatic Classic." And that's what it is. I'll file this one under "riding music." It's one of those jams that you bump loudly for the whole neighborhood to hear on a hot summer day. And I can't stop singing the hook: This right here is an automatic classic.... I'll be checking for their new mixtape Candy for Kleptos.

Where R The Entrepreneurs?

Seriously. This is a perfect time to be an entrepreneur. The economy is in a recession. The music business is in a transforming stage (if not dead already). Yet, there is still room for innovation. Believe me when I say, "This is the best time to enter the 'bizness.'" Turning a threat into an opportunity is clearly a way to prove your tenacity and shrewdness within the music business.

The Internet is seriously leveling the playing feild for independent success. You can just look at the "Internet rapper" phenomenon. There's a plethora of free music out there in the form of mixtapes, and some of them are better than full-length albums. This is the "threat." How do we turn this into an opportunty--how do we monetize? I can't pretend I know how to do this. But please believe I'm trying to figure it out. It may not be in the form of a traditional record label, but there is a business model waiting to be formulated that will benefit both the artist and the "bizness."

Maxwell Finally Gives Us 'Pretty Wings'

Yes! It's been almost two years since Maxwell posted a snippet of "Pretty Wings." From teasing us with vague blog posts to a national tour, Maxwell has been tickling our ears with broken promises for a long time. But now Maxwell has finally given us the video for his latest single "Pretty Wings." In the video, Maxwell brings class back into the R&B game. The video supports Maxwell's lyrical prowess, which is a far cry from "doing a little sumthin sumthin." And I dont' know about you, but I'm in high anticipation for his trilogy Black, Summer's and Night. Thank you Maxwell for bringing chivalry back into the game.

R&B Dudes Need To Get It Together

Talent is hard to find within the R&B game right now--especially from male R&B singers. But every now and then there is an R&B male singer who has the chops to be associated with the best. However, their talent is drowned out by wack music. They have the vocal talent, but the material they sing is completely booorrring.

My first subject is Brian Andrews of Day26. Really, Brian is the vocal glue that holds Day26 together. Listen to their latest single, "Put It On Her." Brian takes that song to another level. However, most of the production on their latest release don't fully demonstrate Brian as a vocalist, which is a sad mistake for Day26. Brian can very well shape a more profound musical identity for the group. I don't even think Brian knows his talent.

Day 26 Feat Yung Joc & Diddy - Imma Put It On Her / NEW
by PeteRock

Trey Songz is another phenomenal singer. In fact, Ms. Aretha Franklin, herself, deemed Songz as a vocal force to be reckoned with. However, Songz has reduced himself to mostly a "sing-songy" rapper. It's never cool for an R&B singer to sing over a hard hip hop track as though he is a rapper. Leave that up to Lil Weezy and Kanye. Songz should stick with the smoove R&B similar to his Grammy-nominated "Can't Help But Wait." If he doesn't, he'll stay a mediocore artist.

Trey Songz - Can't Help But Wait
by foxysoul

Last but not least is Mario. Mario has to be the best R&B vocalist out now, hands down. He's also the closest to maintaining a certain level of musical integrity. He has a vocal range out of this world, which is hard to find these days. But the material he sings is bordeline corny. If he can drain all that mushy sap out the songs he sing, Mario can monopolize the R&B game. Just listen to Mario reach heavenly soprano hights on "Promise Land."



Now that I've pin-pointed the faults in contemporary R&B male vocalists, let me introduce you to an R&B artist who is on top of his game. Miguel. He is the most well-rounded R&B artists I've seen in a while. He can dance. He has stage presence. He can write. And most of all, he understands what versitilaty means. Visit his myspace page, download his mixtape The Mischeif, and watch him perform below.

Day26: A Microwave Success?

Don't pretend like you don't watch Making The Band. As Dave Chappelle once noted, "OOOHHH, IT'S A BEAST!" And this season has been the most drama-filled season since Diddy first tried his luck at making Da Band. Come on, Diddy gave us classic episodes like when he made the cast of season 2 fetch him some cheesecake. There were some characters on that show, which made it easier to watch rather than purchasing their music. And if you haven't noticed, the only band that's left off this series is Day26. Why? The main reason is the lack of artist development, which makes them a mirowave success. Yes, they're hot for minute. But after their minute and 30 seconds are up, they're still not better than a stove-cooked meal. Let's be honest. Danity Kane's musical chemistry as a group didn't fully develop as a group until their second album, and Day26 still performs like they just met. There's no doubt that some of these groups have talent (I see you D. Woods), but is Diddy taking his time to get to know them as artists? No. Initially, he probably just saw how personaility clashes make great TV.

Funkmaster Flex Don't Understand 'Internet Rappers'

This has to be the most "interesting" and bizarre interview I've ever seen. Kid Cudi was interviewed by veteran DJ, Funkmaster Flex recently. In the clip below, Flex questions Cudi on what he calls "internet rappers." Watching the clip is like watching a kid explain the computer to his disgruntled grandfather, who dreams about the golden days when the computer was just a hand-held calculator. But the most hilarious part was when Cudi explained how he used MySpace to decided his next single. Flex looked at him like he never heard of such a thing occurring in history. This clip proves how salty aging-hip hop DJs are towards the game changing. Here's some advice Flex. CATCH UP! If you're a DJ and you're no longer giving up-and-coming artists a chance, then those same artists will create their own buzz through the Internet. But at least Flex's "learning to embrace the movement."