"Flashing Lights"-Paparazzi Pics (Pt.185)

How was your weekend? Fine? Oh mine? Mine was just SMASHING! Without getting into all the details, Let's just say Spring looks very PROMISING! If Winter is treating me this way. Anyways Sunday night I get an invite to say a heartfelt "goodbye but not so long" farewell to our homie Ms. Davita, who's relocating to "the A town" (aka Atlanta) to push reset on her life story. You know the new condo building located by the Manhattan Bridge off of Flatbush extension right? No not the Lego looking joint, but the other one right next to the Mobil gas station. Yeah that one! Well a gang of her closest pals all came together there to to send her off packing. Awww sad face. I attempted to play DJ with the ONE speaker present (that by the way was a SUB WOOFER!) which meant no highs what so ever! ALL BASS! It sounded like one of those hooptie rides with the sound system more expensive than the damn car, and all you hear coming down the block is "WOOM WOOM WOOMWOOM!" But I tried my best to make thangs work. After wards whom ever stuck around, or got there DUMB late (ummm Lyshann Hall/the Stylistics Agency & Rich Younglord/Producer extraordinaire) stayed to catch jokes on the Grammys show! Ahhhhh I love my life. It's the simple things I tell you. Here's some dope pics Ms. Stephanie O'Conner our resident budding photog took of some of the attendees there.

"We On Awards Tour With..." - Grammys Re-Cap

Did you happen to catch the show last tonight? Well if you didn't what you missed was, the "Post-Obama, we can all get along, we ARE in a recession you know" version of the heavily watched show. ALOT of repeat artist performing twice on the show (I'm guessing to save airfare and lodging), Damn near EVERY act was a black and white artist pairing, Justin and Al Green then T.I., the Jonas (freakin') Brothers and Stevie (!?!), Coldplay w/Jay-Z, Lil' Wayne and Robin Thicke...you pretty much get the point. And it's a good thing this wasn't the "American" Music Awards cause it would've been embarrassing to see all mostly British acts (other than rap, r&b, & country...of course) go home with the awards! Notably missing was Beyonce', who skipped this years ceremony amid treats from both Etta James AND a still upset Aretha Franklin. An over-due M.I.A. (lookin' real B.I.G.) should've been the one sitting this one out, from the looks of her get up, AND she's ONLY doing the hook anyway! No ma ma! It looked like that damn 90's movie, ummm "4 man & a Baby" up there! The hosts were awkwardly unfunny if not boring. And BTW Whitney, you have no more excuses! Bobby's gone. Memo to Stevie: Be glad you couldn't see who they dared to place you on the same stage with! Memo to Boys II Men: Back up singers fellas? Really? What's next Miley Cyrus and Gladys Knight?!?

And the Winners are:

Album of the Year: Raising Sand - Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

Rap Album: Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne

Male Pop Vocal Performance: Say - John Mayer

Record of the Year: Please Read The Letter - Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

New Artist: Adele

Rock Album: Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends - Coldplay

Pop Collaboration With Vocals: Rich Woman - Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

Song of the Year: Viva La Vida - Coldplay

Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: Stay - Sugarland

"At Last, Another Cat Fight!" - Knowles Knows Beef!

First Aretha, NOW Beyonce' has got Etta James (famous for that "At Last" song) to deal with. Yeah, I heard it's hard being a diva, and even harder when an upstart starts singing your signature songs...Dem fighting words! Lucky for me, I have friends in high places nice enough to leak to me a phone convo between Cadillac records star Etta James and "the Queen" herself Ms. Franklin plotting on Beyonce'! Bey better call Sasha Fierce or Destiny's Child for back up man! MEOW! Read along:

Ring! Ring! Ring!
Etta: Hello? Re Re? Girl you up? Get up sis, we gotta talk child!

Aretha:(Munching) Oh heeeey, E.J. Yeah I'm up. Just making myself a lil' midnight snacky snack. Why, what's up?

Etta: Oh girl, you didn't hear yet huh? Well ya girl "Bey Bey" is at it AGAIN! This child done lost her weaved headed mind! See I okayed her to play me in the movie, but NOT in life girl! That ol' Will Smith looking of a President, Obama, had her singing MY $#!+! Oooooweee I'm hot like GRITS on Al Green's face over this girl! And you KNOW my blood pressure is bad.

Aretha: Now now calm down Etta, I warned you bout F%3*in' with that young girl from day one. But you wanted her to play you and that's just what she did...PLAYED YOU! She KNOW not to get in my way. Her AND her daddy! That's just why I wore that big ass hat, to block America from seeing her ass up there. I got stored away a whole Mason jar fulla preserved "whoop ass" saved up for that girl. And I'm DYING to open it up! Imma make her and her husband have matching lips!

Etta:(Laughing) I hear that $#!* (laughter) I'm mo' catch her ass at the Grammys just wait. And I DARE her to sing my motherf#*^kin' song up there. She better learn to duck like Bush, cause shoes WILL be flying! Hmmm don't get me started (coughing).

Well the conversation turned to food and other diva like stuff, but you get the gist of things. Here's some audio of Etta ranting off at a recent (mall) concert that she wasn't even suppose to be singing at.

"We (F' up) Major"- Kanye Loses On Grammy Night...Again

After years of publicly bitching at previous Grammy awards due to his disbelief of being bested by "lesser" artist. The night that he's finally honor with not one but FOUR awards, 'Ye's entourage mistakenly forgets his Grammys inside the limo! Wake up Mr. West indeed! Here pictured above is the exact moment his PR brings this to his attention. The two woman and guy beside him is kicking themselves, that they didn't announce it sooner than later. One even said "Oh, those we're the real thing?" "We just thought that they was for play play till the real ones got mailed." "Oops, my bad." The award committee stated, though sincerely sorry for his lost trophies, he'll just have to try again next year. G.O.O.D night Irene.

"Who Stole the Soul" -Gnarls Barkley Early Reveiw

One day while searching for the elusive sounds of Gnarls Barkley in cyber-space, I lucked up on a blog (Find A Soul for Sale) that had not one, but FIVE new unreleased tracks from their forth coming CD
( "Odd Couple" out April 8th). Without hesitation I clicked the download tab, only to be met with yet another dead-end But there was still some hope, because the posting instructed fans to email if they needed the links. Sounds like spy stuff right? Anyways, the person contacted me had high appraisal of the Minority Report ("I LOVE this blog"-his exact words, no lie) and sent an attachment of the ear candy I was fiendin' for. I preceded to plugged my headphones in, looked around like I had smugged a Mexican across the border, and hit play on the first track.
"A Little Better" I think it was...pure CRACK! The kinda stuff Frank Lucas sold, not that watered down crap. Some clear liquid started leaking from a single eye of mine but I figured it was allergies. Nah bro, it was happy tears my man, and I'm not ashamed to say it. These dudes did "IT"! "It" being having pulled off a even better 2nd album that compliments the first, and vice versa. Man, was I relieved that they were not another one hit wonder (where they are now) group. Now mind you I'm still on the 1st cut by the way (lol). Gratefully the rest that I heard was beyond my expectations as well. I see Grammys in their future. I would share them with you but, yes yet again the "Gnarls Gestapo" somehow managed to delete the e-mail that contained the tracks (they can do that?). The very next day, they were mysteriously gone from my inbox...Hmmm. Well at least I have the track listing for you right.

Charity Case
Who's Gonna Save My Soul
Going On
Run
Would Be Killer
Open Book
Whatever
Surprise
No Time Soon
She Knows
Blind Mary
Neighbors
A Little Better

"A & B Conversation"-Aretha's Open Letter to Beyonce'

Every year the Grammys are never short on controversy, and this year was no different.
During what was meant to be a loving tribute to music legend Tina Turner, Beyonce' who announced her to the stage made the unexcusable mistake of adding the word "Queen" to Tina's title. Uh oh! I even cringed when Bey said it, she had just put her stiletto shoe in her award winning mouth. Of course, the media was quick to jump all over this one. Here's the open letter Aretha wrote to "Mrs. S. Carter" exclusively and anonymously acquired by
the Minority Report. Read along:

Dear Ms. Knowles,
I first would like to say that I think that you are a wonderfully talented and beautiful young lady, deserving of all that God has blessed you with. You are without a doubt truly gifted. However, wise you apparently are not. I'm not aware of how long you've been in this industry, I'm guessing 5 yrs. tops. And you've ONLY recorded two solo albums, not to take anything away from you. But seriously girl, you better "THINK", think about what you tried to do to me. There "Ain't no way" you didn't know that "Queen" solely belongs to me. You even yelled out to me backstage like "Hey Queen!" "What's the Queen wearing tonight?" "I can't believe I'm meeting the Queen!" So don't act like you ain't know girl. Then to turn around and call out sister girl Tina like that!? I damn near ran out on stage to "Ike Turner" you on live TV! Where's the R-E-S-P-E-C-T?
She's a queen in her own right but not THEE Queen! Feel me?
Just last week I was riding on the freeway in my pink cadillac "Rock ('n) Steady" to your music, saying to my friend "That Beyonce is my sh*t!" Now... you just on my sh*t list. If you want to get together to straighten this whole mess out just "Call Me." Clive has my numbers. Besides I have an album I'm working and may need a collabo...
so let's work this thing on out! Kisses

Sincerely Yours, the "REAL" Queen
Aretha "Ree Ree" Franklin

"Gram Crackers" -the Grammy Show review

Normally I don't make it my business to be home on the night
the Grammy Awards air, but this year quite a few artist that I follow where scheduled to appear and perform on the program. Then word got around that the Time (one of my all-time favorite groups) were to reunite on the show. So that pretty much sealed it for me to tune in last night. And I gotta say man, Best...Show...Ever! They pulled out all the stops for their 50th Anniversary, and it paid off. Great music equals a great show, bottom line. Aretha, Alicia, Beyonce', the Beatles, Daft Punk, Frank Sinatra, the Foo Fighters, Kanye, John Legend, John Meyer, Tina, Rihanna...I could go on but you pretty much get the point.
Oh you gonna start playing the music on me huh?!?
Well finally you recognize the blog that should be the winner, that's reward enough. Good night!

"You Dropped Obama On Me Baby!"

Looks like Hilary needs to start checking that rear view mirror more often, cause Barack is pulling up to her bummer FAST and CLOSE! While you were browsing in the lanes of Ikea or hosting Grammy parties in your studio apartment in Billyburg, Obama was working hard over the weekend. And it paid off BIG time! It's "Sweeps Week" on that outdated invention we call a TV, and from the look of things his camp and supporters took note. He cleaned up the votes in Louisiana, Nebraska, Maine, and the White House state as well too. It to me seems like there's and renewed fever of energy infecting voters that are starting to believe in the dreams of hope and change that Barack promises. Hopefully the rest of America will catch it. He has "TIME" on his side. FYI, he even won a Grammy last night!
Take that Hil-Bill(y) supporters!

"About Damn Time" -the Time Reunion

"When the student is ready the teacher will appear"
-Buddhist proverb









If Prince is remembered for any of his great musical accomplishments, the inception of the Time has to be within the top 3 of that list. Period. My first memory of even hearing about these guys was this very album you see here, my mom had in her record collection. The self-titled, 6 track, 5 minute (or more) long songs record, co-produced by the Starr Company, which was code for "Prince did it" back then. I studied very groove and lyric like it was a pop quiz I had to take the very next day. "Cool" became a personal anthem and a way of life for me.
They somehow managed to take the smooth melodies of R&B and married it perfectly with the braggadocious energy of music's new conception at the time, which was Rap. I don't even think Rap at that point figured out how to be so clever at being so raunchy. The Time was the full package, killer stage show, dressed for business, they made it look easy...too easy. Now 18yrs later, after the 1st hit producing reunion ("Jerk-Out), the boys are back at it again Grammy night. And not a moment too soon, cause I think music... matter of fact, the world needs to be reminded what it is to be "cool" again.