goes a lil somethin like this...

so you're already checkin out 1 of 7 tracks completed on tonight... it's been a roller coaster of a last week. and i finally got around to knockin out joints i'd either started or had thought to do. so, posted are 2 of the 7 tracks. i'll be showing a little more off as time goes by... it's a little too early to hit yall in the chest! lol. spring hasn't even given us warm weather yet. but believe me when i say... i got some s*** up my sleeve!! gotta see me in person for that preview! ;] 

nonetheless! check them jawns out and let me know how you feel!@$!@! 

pz&<3

-groove

new findings

new finding #1 - i have a gray hair. this is unacceptable! lol. definitely not a fan. at least let me turn 25, aka 50% of 50, before "aging". unfortunate! ;[

new finding #2 - apparently i've been sleeping, just overlooking, or just not delving deep enough. so let me start by saying i'm a fan of little brother. and that's what's up. so i know they had their qualms and may not be releasing another album. i also know that phonte has been making his solo appearances. learned that with his appearance on j*davey's cut "just because", then eric roberson's "been in love"... and i would see his name here and there. NEVER EVER KNEW THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE INVOLVED HIM. i kept hearing about this group, f.e. this, f.e. that... so i get the album "leave it all behind" this week and dug it. and who's the front man? phonte. wonderful. as much as i dig little brother, i think i dig f.e. more. what makes that evident is f.e.'s first album "changes" was more like a little brother project produced by nikolay, whereas "leave it all behind" sounds like what would be the f.e. debut album... the real introduction of this group into the industry. by all means this album is the reason why i haven't commented or reviewed any album this week. i have listened though! i'll get to that soon enough keri, jim, and mf doom. 

COP FOREIGN EXCHANGE'S "LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND" 

something in the way of real music. experimental at times for those more conservative in taste or certainly those too set in the tastes of the industry/radio. imagine dwele being produced by brook d'leau! go google if you don't get my drift.

also - josiah. he's dope as well. nothing released, but click the link and discover. he's legit talent.

new finding #3 - radii shoes! funky. got my first pair a couple of weeks ago. very comfy. very urban. bona fide sneaks. more affordable than the air yeezies lol!! but yeah... these have earned a spot next to my supras. 

oh... and this...

until next time...

pz&<3

-groove

music music music...

ok. so as it is, it's tuesday. everybody's new release date. yada yada... i'm still high off of our DC show with Eric Roberson this past saturday. a gross evening turned into a masterpiece... it was beautifully amazing. i'm waiting to see some clips emerge. but until then, feast on this!!

so on to the situation at hand... yes it's tuesday. so let me talk a little about music and what i think is going on. there were, to me, no noteworthy releases on today. but there have been some albums that have recently flew under the radar. joe budden - padded room, havoc - hidden files, and drake - so far gone. 

here's the synopsis: 

budden's padded room sounds like mood muzik 23, actually i think we'd be on 4. don't get me wrong, budden is always gonna give you solid bars and emotional content, and i dig that. however, maybe in part it's some of the production and overall mastering of the project that lends to it sounding a little more like a mixtape than an album. there's nothing that makes this stand out from the mood muzik series, and i think there should be, considering this is an official label release. AGAIN... i'm not taking away from the album, i just want to differentiate the two.

havoc's hidden files was quite a disappointment to me. quite frankly, ever since their departure from LOUD records, mobb overall has been on a downward spiral. what i have ALWAYS noticed from mobb deep is the strength of the production (of course i am a producer so i guess i'm supposed to notice that). this album lacks that. there are a couple joints but nothing really even memorable. sounds like a bunch of production from the triton's hip hop kit... lending to the dated sound of this material. and i'm sure with a title like "hidden files" some, if not all, of this album has to be of past material. but still... i look back to the infamous, hell on earth, murda muzik, even infamy... mobb's old stuff still sounds great today. arguably classic! this doesn't meet the mark for me.

drake's so far gone... this dude is wildly talented. recently signed to interscope and managed by hip hop since 1978, he has yet to fail to impress me. each of his mixtapes, room for improvement, comeback season, and the current, sound more like legitimate albums that most the industry acts out here today. his lyricism is impeccable. and even his vocals are dope. it doesn't sound like he's a rapper trying to sing, nor like a singer trying to rap. he sounds like he does both legitimately. i'm a huge fan based on all of this. and this album is in heavy rotation on my packed out ipod. this album is extremely versatile, and there's so much that's noteworthy about it. i would rant about it... but i'd invite you to find the album and listen for yourself. official release or not, this will be one of the standout albums of the year. not to mention, i'm sure he'll be trying to one up himself with the "thank me later" interscope release due out within the year. mark my words, prepare to see this kid achieve a long successful career. 

take that... AND WHERE IS J*DAVEY?! i swear i've been waiting for this album for years... 

holla @ me and let me know how you feel!

pz&<3

-groove

weekly reflect

so... to me last week was definitely an interesting one. very little sleep. lot of playing. lot of learning about people and where their minds and hearts are at. admittedly difficult in part for rifts that i would have rather avoided. but i get it all. 

there was a lot of love last week though and that felt great. i had a chance to talk to a number of people and offer a lot of help to some individuals. the appreciation that was shown was definitely uplifting. i had a chance to reach a lot of people last week and also be reached by a lot of people.

and not to mention, the NJ & DC shows. it was so wonderful to meet all the new faces and catch up with the missed ones. NJ was definitely cool... but I must say DC took the cake. because of all the bs surrounding the show, the way the event was organized and run... it was initially a weird atmosphere, a hostile one even. however, i wanna say we did everything we could to make up for it on our end. Eric Roberson is such an amazing artist. even as his keyboardist, and a part of his entourage, i'm still a fan. the way he gives himself over to the audience is bar none. there was such an emotional investment on behalf of the group last night, coupled with a LOT of energy!! we gave it our all - and not that we don't on every show... but last night was special. 

to all the folks who took time to show love... greatly appreciated. all the techs in DC, keish, tiff, samira, ayanna, jay's homegirl in nj that i almost had to judo chop!, sheena, lorenzo (thanks for stoppin through nig!), gabby, and all the rest who i can't recall at the moment, for which i do apologize... thank you all for a great time. mel & pops! the wisdom and greatness... you guys are great. and then all the fellas - love yall man. the vibe is gettin even doper! 

on to some sleep!! holla at me folks! catch me on the twitter like a mug. nothing worthwhile drops this week, so maybe i'll speak on this phenom named Drake. definitely dope. until then...

pz&<3

-groove

unexpected payoffs...

well good world... this is something that i've been aware of for awhile - things never take place how you expect them to. this past month has been such a pain. seems like every situation i've been a part of, i've wound up feeling sort of inadequate. primarily because people are douche bags and don't appreciate much of anything. so many individuals are so selfish and self absorbed. so for the kind givers of the world, one good act just equates into requests for more by the takers of the world. and it can so quickly spin out of control. 

so... i performed today as a guest of another student/friend at the university i graduated from. while sitting in the class, it was really like ridiculous the praises they spoke of me. not that i require the validation. the reason it meant so much has to do with the level of appreciation there was for my craft and the impact that i had made on the department just by being a good guy.

it's extremely difficult to remain a good guy when it seems not to matter to a soul. yet, every once in awhile there's an act of God that goes to show that attempts in good spirits amount to something and aren't done in vain. the professors said "if there's anything you need, please just ask. you deserve all the good has come your way and even more as good things happen to good people." and that really stuck with me. this wasn't some cliche churchgoers' phrase or exclamation, not to say those don't matter, just seems like they say it because that's what they're supposed to say sometimes. but to have someone make themselves available to me in the same way that i've always done what i can to make myself available to others... it was refreshing, to say the least. 

these are the gems of life. the things that take place unexpectedly, that pay you off in a way that really touches the heart. the things that let you know that what you do actually matters and doesn't go unnoticed. cherish these moments, because they are few and far in between. but these moments are special and should most certainly revitalize us when we feel like none of this is worth the effort. push on. God would tell us that's what Christ had to do. not to be deep, just to be real. things pay off when we least expect them to and it winds up feeling the best for a more considerable amount of time. 

thanks professors. and tudy. fellow su music dept students and faculty. i needed this today.

pz&<3

-groove

"the-dream: love vs money" review.

so let me start off by saying, i will review albums from a musician's/producer's/music theorist's point of view, while trying to keep it applicable to all. you'll see chord progressions, in parentheses and where applicable, for the sake of certain points i may make in reviewing.

let's get into it... 

rockin' that s*** - (IV-V-iii-IV)

the lead out single. not a bad song at all. you can definitely hear the tie over from the last album though. sounds like it could've easily been written or started either during or immediately after the last album. the break in the second verse with the crazy bass drag/slide... yeah i dig that. and the emergence of the solo synth in the bridge/3rd verse, whatever he's calling that. typical dream song.

walkin on the moon - (ii-V-vi) IMMEDIATELY, and i do mean immediately, all i hear is a sped up version of falsetto. the same ii-V-vi progression is used and his falsetto high notes take me back to that song so quickly. and to me, this is one of the plagues with the dream's material. there's such a uniform sound to his music. that being said, i do still enjoy this song. the way in which it is developed with the instrument choices make it stand out. i'm a kayne fan, nothing exorbitant or anything. i think the addition of his verse to this song is a major plus considering where kayne is at musically right now. the whole retro, 808 feel of the song is right in mr. west's lane right now. smart addition dream.

my love - (IV-V-iii-IV) does that progression look familiar? maybe just 2 songs ago?? this song is cool, decent listening. miss mariah carey doesn't wear my ears out on this song, i'm just tired of her doubling her own vocals an octave under (heard when her verse first drops). this falls into the typical category of the dream's music again for me.

put it down - (ii-vi[V(6)-I]) this song initially caught my attention. i love this track. it still sounds like many others, but it was hittin in my honda! yet... :\ he says some of the corniest s*** on this song!!! no.1 who is he talkin to in the beginning?? is this a diss? if he was gonna call somebody out, would this be the right song to do that on?? THEN - "i'm all up on you like a white tee on a thug"??!???! really?!? that's sexy?! i don't like his content or his vocal production on this song... although the "call me ali" line - lol, i like those cocky utterances. i can see myself saying stuff like that. man, i just wanted the vocals and lyrics to match the track... it didn't. i'm in the middle of the road on this one...

sweat it out - (ii-V-iii7-VI+) i dig this song. great ballad. this song is packaged well enough that the simplicity and repetitive nature of the hook doesn't even strike me as a detractor. i have no qualms! 

take her home 2 my mama - my ears are intolerant to this song. i'm pretty sure i will delete this song from my ipod. i have no interest in it whatsoever. flopper. 

love vs money pts. 1&2 - the first thing i will even dare to mention is that the musicality of the break in the second verse is wonderful. thank you dream for that. the bass drags are extremely dramatic, maybe too dramatic without something else to accent and complement it. there may be a poly synth sounding with with the actual hit on the IV chord, but because of the similarity of the sound textures/timbre, it, to me, is ineffective. moving into pt.2, i like the musical variations. i'm glad this was packaged as a pt.1 pt.2 deal. if it weren't, i may have had a problem with it, just because a lot of his songs sound like they are pt.2 of other songs with different content. oh... dream. what made you pick the f# over a g minor chord?? that's gross. i totally don't approve! lol. not that my opinion probably would matter to the guy. but man... that's horrible dissonance.

 

fancy - (iii-IV) so i like the song initially. the minimalistic approach to the track works for this song, or so i thought. i'll get back to that in a second. 2nd verse... he mentions paris, and here appears an accordion. lol, i think it's corny in sound, but conceptually i think it completes his idea and the feel that he was trying to give. i get it. lol. back to the minimalism... this song is 6.5 minutes long. around 3:42, he begins to develop the drums. enter hi hats. fair. so the whole time along, i'm waiting for the recap of the hook that brings about a bass drum. no such thing exists... UNTIL 6:18!!!!! WHY WOULD YOU WAIT UNTIL THERE ARE 12 SECONDS LEFT TO DROP YOUR BASS DRUM?! and yeah, at that point he is doing something different lyrically... but still, there's 12 seconds left man! i can't get with it. however to his credit... the chord on which he ends = common tone modulation (for any musical theorists out there). GOTTA love that. this sets up the next song.

right side of my brain - (ii-I-vi-V) GOD BLESS BIG BASS DRUM/TYMPANI HITS!! this nearly makes up for the lack in the last song. i like this song, just about everything about it. this is a big track. i would love to see this as his second single. 

mr. yeah - the musician in me says this would be a fun song to play live because of the rhythmic hits throughout the chorus. i'm also a fan of the break down. smooooooooth. lil bass run at the end. i can get with that. lol... so much for subtleties huh dream? that's a nice lil question at the end of the song... i'd suggest picking and choosing where you drop that line. lol. definitely not one for the first date. guys please... hear me. but it definitely prepares you for the next song.

kellys 12 play - you can read the track name and know where this song is going. this is the song you don't even listen to, you just immediately drop it to the sexy time playlist on your ipod, which i personally believe everyone should have accessible on their ipod anyways. ;x i completely get the point of the song, and everything that takes place in the song. like it or not, it fulfills it's purpose! 2nd verse... the skip-skip-sk-sk-skip?!?! isn't that just inspirational?! this is the trouble song of the album. >;]

let me see the booty - oh boy... this is one of those songs that gets play in the club. not the upscale lounge joints... i'm talkin bout THE CLUB. i would imagine scandalous things would take place to this joint. not much musicality in this song... hey it's a lil jon joint. so yeah, i have nothing to really elaborate on with that. 

-- so i give this album like a C/C+. it's different in ways, but a lot of it sounds the same as the last album, mainly because of the drum programming. the melodic progressions are pretty typical, but then again so is the entire industry. there's a lot of things about this album that just don't cut across for me. but then there are some really strong points about the album. it's just with this uniform sound of his... how much longer can dream remain popular? give a listen and let me know what you think.

pz&<3

-groove

past paradise... all puns intended

so... it's another one of those nights where my sleep pattern is all off.

in my brief browsing, i checked out eric roberson's blog (*commercial break - my dope dope boss/bandleader and one of the greatest song writers ever!) only to discover a clip of us performing on inauguration weekend in DC at the black cat. so yanno... it's only right that i investigate what had actually been posted. i've found some classic moments, for me at least, from our ATL and DC shows, respectively. iluvu2much, which is undoubtedly one of my all time favorite songs (hey algebra!!!), and the freestyle session, the groove of which was provided by groove aka me (not to big up myself, lol... the chemistry just felt particularly good). so check them out!

it was just unbeknownst to me that so many clips were posted. thanks to the eric roberson fans who have captured these moments. kinda documents a great place in life and musicianship for me. i have been such a huge fan of eric's since '04. and in following him, his production, and his musicians... i come in the line of some amazing individuals. when i first was put on to erro, parris bowens and dana soret were playing for him (what up yall!!). and they were on superstar status to me, having met them and had great conversation with them both after tye shows and etc. all that to say, i would've never imagined following in their footsteps with this gig. so it's me seeing dreams come to fruition and that's such an amazing thing to see unfold in life. i encourage everybody to continue in the pursuits of their dreams... God does bless! AHHHHALLELUJAH!!@$! lordamercy! 

btw... we're back in DC this weekend at The Scene, 2221 Adams Pl NE. come vibe with us!

pz&<3

-groove

finally...

so yeah... it's like dumb early/late... i have a problem with falling asleep earlier than my lil circadian rhythms care for, and as i result i wake up way earlier. so anyways... i figured what better time to join up and do the blog thing. i guess i'm trying to get like the rest with the whole twitter/blogger thing. but yeah... that's what it is. 

resting up this week before things get busy all over again... looking forward to doing the Key Club (NJ)& The Scene (DC) concerts this weekend. Eric Roberson Live... and if you don't already know, you may care to google, wiki, imeem'eem! 

definitely ready to get back into the writing thing! i've been so big on simply producing that i haven't taken time to really write to my own material. with the ideas that events have inspired this weekend... we might have some content. ;] stay tuned.

how's that for the first go!?

pz&<3

-groove