Ne-Yo...ne-yo

I love the songs, the melodies, the brother can sing.... but please

neyo

A HAT AT ALL TIMES

Not Sometimes

But All Times

Damn
thanks to celeb gossip site www.theybf.com for the pics...
.........please comment.........

Odenize -- Comedy Clip

Another funny commercial by ESPN. This time with Greg Oden (#1 draft pick for the gold-diggers), trying to prove he's marketable. Funniest I've seen in a while because of his expressions and Scottie Pippen in the face (Big Nose).



Favorites:

GRET by greg oden

Get Some Air nasal spray (the picture looks like they made his nose bigger)

"Roc Boys" Video ----

Thanks LowKey...( www.youheardthatnew.com ) check out LowKeys blog for the review and insight into the video like this...(once again thats www.youheardthatnew.com )

"As the video progresses, shots of patron are tossed back; many young striking females scatter throughout Jay’s social establishment, the 40/40, and the appearances from DJ Clue, Mariah Carey, Jadakiss (who threw up the Roc sign), Freeway, Young Gunz, Swizz Beatz, Cassie, Larry Johnson, Just Blaze, Beanie Sigel, Sean C, LV and many more only end the speculation that this video wasn’t a real celebration."

And the Winner is.........

American Gangster Album Review

The wait is over.

After giving an explanation as to why he went back into the studio and made an album with drugs, money, and "the Life" as his subject matter ("I was inspired by the movie"). Jay was given the pass to return to Reasonable Doubt.

So, at first I was gonna just steal LowKey's review (www.youheardthatnew.com), but I decided to write one myself. Not because LowKeys was bad, but because non-Jay fans (other blogs/review sites that I checked out) have been reviewing this album. So, I thought a big Jay fan should give a review of the album, while I'm listening to the album.


INTRO
They took some dialogue from the movie, then opened up with some of their own. They go through defining "A Gangster". Favorite line

"To be a Gangster, swagger is not a must it's a liability a cliche"

If you seen the movie you'd understand this and other parts of the album.

PRAY
Opening with a prayer, showing the human side to
"A gangster". Giving some of light at what can be learned at a young age,

"what we call corrupt he called paying dues
now when the rules is blurred as they are what am I to do
but pray, pray the lord forgive me"

AMERICAN DREAM
I really feel this song and the beat is so soulful, he sampled "Soon I'll Be Loving You Again" by Marvin Gaye. The song is the actual introduction into the "Game" and how it starts off as "A dream". In the middle is my favorite lines, showing the naivety when beginning Jay states,

"know where to cop? (Naw)
got a connect (No),
who in the F knows how to be successful."

In the third verse, he then details how you start your growth mentioning the "connect" for the first time.

HELLO BROOKLYN ft. Lil' Wayne
It's got that late-'80s 808 thump, which I think goes well with the album. What started at a song about a girl (who's name just happens to be "Brooklyn"), turns into a song painting a picture of the place where Jay is from. Most interesting line comes from Wayne,

"she told me she like my New Orleans demeanor,
and so i said goodbye Katrina and Hello Brooklyn".

NO HOOK
A very personal song, talking about the situation with his family that led him to go full time into the "game". How it's raised him and how hustle is what everyone does. Goes away from what the actions of the main character in the movie,

"like Frank Lucas is cool but i ain't trying to snitch"

ROC BOYS
The party anthem of the album, and the "high point" of the "life". n acceptance speech after winning an award,

"Speech,
first of all i wanna thank my connect,
the most important person with all due respect"

Reminds me of "The Mack", at the Player's Ball when Goldie is crowned the Mack of the Year.

SWEET
Is almost like the morning after reflections and feelings. Reflecting on the influence that he has over his family,

"If I would've grew up to be a doctor, my nephews would've grew up to do the same".

And the feeling that comes with knowing that your family and crew is doing well together.

"I'm even better, I'm eating better
best thing about it, is my nga's eating together".

It's a real "Sweet" feeling.

I KNOW
Many will mistake this for a love song. However, it's not about love of a woman, it's about the dependency that comes with addiction. Jay, puts himself as the drug and plays conscious to the woman telling her

"I know what you like, i am your prescription
I'm your physician, i'm your addiction"

Second verse Jay continues with the metaphor of the song, then comparing the addiction to shopping

"like every color Giuseppe's, your guilty pleasure is me
Its so much fun, you shun therapy"

I really like how Jay has masked the "actual" song, so that only those that listen in will pick it up (sorry for spoiling it, but you would not have gotten it anyway). The ending of the addiction is wonderfully depicted at the end of the song with the drug (Jay) trying to hold on.

"How could you deny me so vehemently?
Now your body is shakin' trying to free it of me
And your soul is in control, trying to lead it from me
And your heart no longer pledge allegiance to me
Damn, i'm missing the days when you needed the D"

Party Life
The most conversational song on the album, with Jay talking over the chorus, in between the song and of course with the ad libs. It's the smooth and grown song and the last signs of real enjoyment of the "life" on the album/movie.

"hey baby when you used to fillet mignon
its kind of hard to go back to hamburger helper."

It's the older, "made man" that has no real worries.

"I'm in a whole other leauge, nga's never catch me

Ignorant Shit
Now I've heard this song before and liked it, I believe this is the only song that's really out of place (Blue Magic is a bonus track). Jay took a shot at the claims that Hip Hop influenced Don Imus's remarks.

"I missed the part where it stopped being about Imus
What do my lyrics got to do with this SHIT?"

Jay also shows the complexities with rapping and how people are tuning too close to "entertainment" .

"SCARFACE the movie did more than Scarface the rapper to me
Still that ain't the blame for all the shit that's happened to me "

Jay also, takes a shot at the critics of hip hop that don't show the same forceful stance to pop stars.

"Are you saying what I'm spitting,
Is worse than these celebutantes showin' they kitten, you kidding?"

SAY HELLO
Personally, I think this will be the underrated song of the album, it's the longest and most conscious song. As the album is coming to a close, the public is now putting the "life" under a microscope.

"They say i'm a menace
That's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me
Let me tell ya what i ain't"

So Jay is speaking out on the ills of society to justify his reasons for being in the "life". "

"Only God can judge him, only he without sin
Can tell me if my means can justify my ends."

The second and third verse are especially crazy, but I'll just post up a couple of lines.

"And if Al Sharpton is speaking for me
Somebody get him the word and tell him i don't approve
Tell him i'll remove the curses
If you tell me our schools gon' be perfect
When Jena 6 don't exist
Tell him THAT's when i'll stop saying bitch---BIIITCH! "

SUCCESS ft. Nas
Starts off with my favorite quote from the movie, "We can be successful and have enemies. Or we can be unsuccessful and have friends." I like he talks about the stress that can come with success.

"Is this what success all about,
a bunch of nga's actin like bitches with big mouths,
all this stress all i got is this big house,
couple cars i don't bring half them shits out,
all this Ace of Spade I drink just to piss out,
I mean I like the taste could've saved myself six hours"

However, to me the most controversial part came from Nas. He states

"Worst enemies wanna be my best friends, best friends wanna be enemies like that's what in."

I'll let you decide what you think of that.

FALLIN'
Fallin plays as the summary of the album, beginning with his feeling when he first got into the game,

"When i get to one brick, then The Game i will depart with
Got to one brick then i looked to the sky, said
Sorry God, i lied, but give me one more try"

To getting locked up and losing the empire that you built,

"When the letters start to slow, when your commissary's low
When your lawyer screams "Appeal!" only thinkin' bout a bill
When your chances are nil, damn, gravity's ill... "

Finally, how to leave the drug life (and the rap life),

"Fight, and you'll never survive
Run, and you'll never escape
So just fall from grace, damn...."

The movie concept of the album is now finished, starting with a "prayer" and ending with the lead character "falling". Jay continues on with two bonus tracks.

BLUE MAGIC
Two parts stand out to me on this song. First is the mention of the Iran-Contra scandal (that brought a lot of drugs in during the Reaganomics era),

"Blame Reagan for making me into a monster
Blame Oliver North and Iran-Contra
I ran contraband that they sponsored"

Secondly,

"Push (push) money over broads, you got it, fuck Bush"

I just don't know which one he's talking about???

AMERICAN GANGSTER
A Just Blazed production that has bits and pieces of the rest of the album. The final closing of the album.














So, cop the album... and let me hear what you have to say about it...1