Laura Izibor: Let The Truth Be Told [REVIEW]

Laura Izibor’s voice is a mix of Leela James and Joss Stone, beautiful but can be a bit much. Vibe is Corrine Bailey Rae, meets Alicia keys (As I Am AND Songs In A Minor) a little surprising b/c I thought it was going to be all Corrine

Some of the songs are a little alternative-ish. Of course I love genre blending, so I was pleasantly surprised. If Tonight Is My Last was pretty and gave some variety, as did What Would You Do

LOVE from my heart to yours… it’s the reason I bought the album. Just makes me feel good

The Worst is Over spoke to me…. God knows it did. That’s inspiration… think I found a new theme song. It was soft and lovely with a powerful message. You know a song is good when all you can say afterwards is . OR maybe I Don’t Want You Back should be my theme song… [can ya’ll tell I’m coming through something?!?! LOL]

Wasn’t crazy about Yes (I’ll Be Your Baby)… coulda done without that one… it was just a little lame lyrically.

Mmmmm…. Was like a negro spiritual. All she said was mmmm on the hook. And the choir and organ did not help the situation out. SN: I don’t know if this is going to send me to hell, but I’m so sick to death of people putting choirs on tracks that are not gospel. It’s annoying AND random. STOP IT PEOPLE!!!

It wasn’t as cohesive as I would have liked but it followed the “Let the Truth Be Told” theme. overall it was a strong freshman showing…. I liked it… support good music!!!

Sweet Dreams, Single Ladies pt. 4

OK… so I already know im gon get it for this one but I have to break my silence. First let me say, I respect Beyonce as a performer and an artist… but the Sweet Dreams video is where I draw the line. Hands down, Sweet Dreams was my FAVORITE song on the album, I mean without question. I just thought it was so dope. When I heard she made a video I thought it was going to be some crazy juxtaposition of demented darkness and beautiful light that the song calls into my consciousness. THEN, I watched it. And what did I see? The SAME video I have seen 3 times before off this album! THREE TIMES… single ladies, diva, and ego… 2 girls on either side, dance, skimpy costumes. Now I will admit, the choreography was different and some moments, like the last dance sequence, were great. But overall, I was bored. And I was pissed off more than anything b/c she can do SOOOOOO much more!!

Think back on her first album, to which I still listen to this day. Even though she danced in just about all the videos, they all told a story. I think my favorite was Me, Myself and I, which I have recently rediscovered and is my theme song. But crazy in love was colorful and dope dancing in the street… Naughty Girl, with Usher was throwback club dancing… Baby Boy was dancehall and the dope scene on the beach with her in the sand… and of course Me, Myself and I, which was in reverse

B-day’s videos started off pretty good but got lazy toward the end but I gave her a pass b/c she did make a video for every song and did them all in the span of a week or so. My favorite off that album, Flaws and All, without question. But this laziness on this album’s videos is just inexcusable. Beyonce fans are loyal… love her no matter what. And it seems that at bare minimum she would want to give them more than the same thing over and over. I know she’s on tour but if she can’t do it right, I’d rather she not make the videos at all…

Judge for yourself… let me know what you think

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbGV2_8Yqg4&feature=channel_page

BET awards wrap-up

this is the quick play-by-play 4 anyone who didnt see it... umm i have more to say but im tired... maybe tomorrow. LOL

Look @ mikes bangs baby!!!
NEW EDITION!!!! Even though they didn’t sound that good…
Yes Jamie Foxx! Doing beat it… can’t lean! LOL
Jamie is killin!!
WTH does tyra have on?!?!?! ... and the hair!!!!
yes lebron... looks good... i dont really even get down with him like that!
why is there a construction worker in waynes entourage?!!!??!?!? no sir!!!
i love keri hilson but this singing is terrible!! that was really tragic... she cannot dance that well to be doing that.... im loving the chain mic stand though.
NE-YO lady in my life… he did that!!!
sing keke palmer!!! shes growing into a goregous young lady...
jamie foxx performance was doing nothing... until he brought out travis barker... then I liked it
Tiny looked deranged as hell…
ummm souljah boy really hopped up out the bed. LOL… performance was tragic
hmmm... i kinda like keri hilson's dress.... in a side eye sorta way... LOL. reminds me of a comic book.... [BANG]
estelle and letoya look pretty... love estelle ... always looks amazing, and with her own style. white glove for MJ
im not feeling beyonce's performance... voice is undeniable but this is perplexing. maybe its better in the context of her show
shenaynay and wanda!??!??!?! LMAO!!
mary mary is perplexing... this doesnt sound like them.... sounds like they are trying too hard...
queen latifah looks good...
an hour and a half in and im sooooo bored...
LOVE taraji...
um jamie foxx... take care of you and pay your bills in the recession... LMAO!!!
yes keith sweat... i wanna!! LOL. [val said… he’s so old he cant whine. LMAO)
YAAAAAASSSS GUY!!! Even though they sounded terrible
BBD… poison
ciara sounded decent for a change.... but why didnt she have something she could dance to?!?!?
keyshia cole’s face looks pretty.... outfit and shoes were tragic... she has come such a long way... God knows
I LOVE monica… that hair and face is always AH-MAZING!!! she looks hot in that leather though
Anytime the camera goes to amber rose it is OVA!!! The chick is BAD!!
JAY’S performance was the best of the evening… yes im biased but its fact. He did him and the band was amazing… FLAWLESS!!!
Don Cornelius?!?!?!?!?
OMG my roommate just asked who is tevin campbell... im officially old!!
sing trey songs!!! ill claim you for the night
johnny gill sounds a mess
tyrese always sounds good
yaaaassss to eddie levert cursing on the stage... 2 second delay was late. LMAO
yes the ojays betta still do that choreography!!!
why does debra lee look a mess every year? get at @juneambrose ... k thanks...her face and hair look pretty though. its so perplexing... her voice always shakes like shes scared.... YOU THE CEO!!! HNIC!!!
a keys looks pretty... she also looks more pale every time i see her
you betta work that back taraji!!!
oh hell tiny... she is so weird to me....
a prop 8 situation??!???!?! LMAO!!!!!
drake is a cutie... i gets down with this song
wow.... its bad when ur song is so bleeped that you cant catch the beat (wayne)
why does don juan look like mardi gras... ALL OF IT!!!

MEMO TO BET: this is not the grammys... this show was tooooo long! 2 hours is plenty. hell 1 hour is plenty. i just cant! Make no mistakes… the only reason why people watched in the first place… and kept watching was for mike… ratings will not be this high next year…. NO WHERE NEAR!!! Overall the show was not that good… a few highlights… neyo, jay but overall, I was not impressed, at all!

On & On about Ms. Badu

Think you gon talk slick about Badu and me not saying anything?!?!?! Oh ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! First of all, for anyone who knows me, you know Erykah Badu is my FAVORITE artist. (I’m going to name a child after her if that day ever comes. LOL… but for real though). Not only is she an amazing singer, she just seems to have a beautiful spirit…

I’ve heard her being called a “baby mama” and people saying ugly things because her children have different fathers. But for real people? The woman is 38! She is not 21 with three children ages 4, 2 and 1 all by different fathers. She is 38 and her children are 12, 5 and new born. Seven and Mars both came out of long term relationships and Puma from shorter term love but a love none the same. While I would not do things the same way, who am I to judge?

I think the real problem is people’s antiquated views on love and reproduction. What is wrong with a mature woman choosing to do things her way? What are we supposed to wait for prince charming? Just doesn't work like that anymore. Just because she is not married does not make her a bad mother or a whore, nor does the fact that her children have different fathers. I mean what’s the difference between having 3 marriages in 10 years and kids from each? A piece of paper? I’m all for marriage, but much like college, it ain’t for everybody. What’s wrong with her deciding it’s not for her?

And let’s keep it 100 right now… everytime a man and woman have sex, there is a possibility for a child… and some have had their fair share of opportunities. Just because a child did not come out of the opportunity DOES NOT mean you are any better or have the right to judge her. Love it or leave it alone!

I’M DONE!!!

Which came first? The autotune or the leggings?

On this, the aftermath of the release of Jay-Z’s DOA (death of autotune… for those who have been living under a rock) I got to thinking, is this the end of 80s fashion too? (Please God say it is!!!!) It seems that the 2 came out together so why shouldn’t they die together! Maybe someone should make a song about 80s fashion and it will go away too!

Let’s face it, 97% of the people that think they can pull off Neon colors, shoulder pads, leggings, body suits and harem pants can’t. I say lets just go back to a time when people dressed impeccably, wore things that were appropriate for their body types and appreciated high fashion for what it is, art. I’m not saying it is because I can’t wear these trendy items… hell I’m probably in the 3% that can… but I wear what I like, not things because they are on trend. (you will NEVER catch me in a pair of harem pants… of that you can be sure)

And music… Okay… I accept that Jay-Z “killing” autotune is not going to happen overnight. Apparently Diddy is getting ready to put out an album chock full of autotune, but what ever happened to creativity? When every song did not say the same thing? When every song did not sound exactly the same? It’s sad that originality is now the exception and not the rule.

My opinions aside…. We all know music and fashion are inextricably intertwined. But which came first? The autotune or the leggings? While I believe both music and fashion are both powerful forces, I dare say the autotune ushered in the leggings. I know some will disagee, but for me, music (well good music anyway) inspires living and fashion is the expression for life.

Either way, both have been recycled from the 80s… this time, lets burn them and get rid of the suckers for good. K thanks.

Is twitter the demise of celebrity gossip?

We are all nosey- we all derive pleasure, guilty or otherwise, from knowing what our favorite celebs are doing with themselves. Our need to know has created a multi billion dollar gossip industry which has fed the fashion industry (since so many people feel a need to dress like those celebs- fortunately, I’m not one of those people. LOL), beauty (fragrances), dining (anyone heard of Mr. Chow? Never even been on the left coast and I have) and the list goes on and on.

Twitter gives us all a chance to communicate with our favorite celebs in a very real way. Sometimes, they even talk back. It allows us to see their humanity but also to feel a part of their fabulous lives, although we clearly are not. Some of my favorite celebs: @estelleDarlings, @juneAmbrose, and @johncmayer. Estelle is hilarious, 100% real, June Ambrose is fabulous and does not mind clowning people on the street in the name of fashion and John Mayer is just randomly hilarious. The point is, outside of John Mayer, as he openly displays his humor with the paparazzi, how would I know anything outside of how these people look? I’ll tell you how- twitter.

Who needs gossip when you can get enough news to feed your need to know from the proverbial horse’s mouth? For example, one day I was perusing concrete loop. One of the popular features on the site is “Guess Who.” This particular “Guess Who” was Solange and I knew it without even thinking. Why? Because @solangeknowles posted a twit pic of herself before she went on stage so not only had I seen the outfit, I saw it WELL before it was on concrete loop. Concrete loop seems to be embracing twitter, saying that Solange’s twitter followers would know who it was, also noting that twitter was making their job easier, but I wonder are they worried?

Finally, are celebs that are not embracing the twitter phenomenon crazy? Ashton Kutcher said it best in his million follower quest… twitter allows us all to control exactly what we want to say and how we want to say it. So maybe, for people like Beyonce and Jay-Z, two of the most notoriously private celebs, it could be an opportunity to hide out loud. Tell us what you want us to know, and we’ll leave you alone, as long as it is something remotely interesting (I just unfollowed some utterly boring people earlier). Why allow gossip sites to speak for you when you can speak for yourself on twitter?

Keri Hilson: In a Perfect World

The album sounded like the tracks that got left off of Danity Kane’s Welcome to the Dollhouse. Her voice kinda reminds me of D. Woods. As an artist, her sound landed right in between Ciara’s pop/R&B vibe and RiRi’s electronica/pop vibe. Ciara’s position might be in jeopardy if Fantasy Ride is as tragic as people say it is (and judging by the singles, it will be that tragic and more). She definitely had some bangers in the beginning of the album.

It was one track away from being Keri Hilson and Friends... That many features should be reserved for artists with no talent (i.e. Diddy LOL). Who on earth thought it was good idea for Akon to scream all over Change Me? She shoulda left his non-singing behind OFF.... im SURE I will never listen to that song EVER again....

a little extra... Keri we know you can sing but you do not have to do so much (kinda reminded me of Beyonce, trying run her whole range on EVERY song). And she sings every song in the exact same way.... all over the place. She needs to learn how to finesse a track... Make Love was not the song to sing full force... nobody wants to make love to all that high pitch screaming.

The track arrangement coulda been more artful…. She started up tempo and progressed into the slow tempo songs but I need a good mix to keep me interested. I was pretty bored by track 8.

I can say she picked good singles... Knock you down is the best song on the album

Strong beginning: started off with some feel good, hype tracks… strong finish, I liked the last song a lot… and sorta blah in between. It's alright at best on first listen, but I think it could grow on me...