Rihanna – Bubble Pop

For the longest time, Rihanna has been one of my favorite pop stars. I’m not rushing out to see a concert or anything (unless it’s a private one–Giggity!), but I’ve always dig her songs and her sound.

The track “Bubble Pop” finds producer will.i.am dropping classic house keys and combining it it was a upbeat drum pattern, creating a modern pop track with a foot in the past. I’m loving this track Bubble Pop, which unfortunately did not make the cut on her latest album, Rated R. It’s a shame, because buzz on the Internet about this track is huge.

UPDATE: PROPS to Ldnnez for the source sample!!

Michael Jackson – This Is It

Much thanks for everybody who hit me up about this. From what I can imagine, this is the real official and promised Michael Jackson song, titled “This Is It,” which is set to drop with the movie and concert of the same name. All I got to say about this track is….Michael’s still Got It. It’s a shame that we will never hear him sing this song live.

(Spotted via Different Kitchen)

I came across this video in BoardsMag.com’s screening room and I’m not really sure what to make of it. Wallpaper is Eric “Ricky Reed” Frederic and Arjun Singh, a duo out of the Bay Area that I am just hearing about for the first time. Apparently they’ve been around for a minute. They are well known for their use of Auto Tune and even did a autotuned version of Jay-Z’s anti-AT anthem.

This video is called “I Got Soul I’m So Wasted”. Though I’m not really sure what to make of the title, the production is pretty on point and the video has some crazy visual effects going on. Though Ricky Reed sort of reminds me of this Taco Bell commercial . Just sayin’….

A month or so ago, I was in line at Starbucks paying for my coffee, when I noticed the cover of singer Anjulie’s album. It’s colorful and eyecatching, and being the magpie that I am, I was instantly intrigued. However, not wanting to purchase a CD impulsively and then be disappointed, I decided to turn to my most trusted music critic…Twitter. I asked my followers if anyone knew anything about Anjulie. I got a response from Jahmal of The Carps and Thunderheist. He told me she was a fellow Canadian artist and that if her album was as good as her single, it would definitely be worth a listen. So based on that (because I trust Jahmal’s opinion), I bought her album. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.

Anjulie sounds like a mix between early Nelly Furtado and Sanitgold. Her lyrics, while a bit young sounding, are mostly about falling in love and dealing with relationships. Her single “Boom” is about that feeling of falling in love. Or lust. Or whatever. Does it really matter what it’s about? It’s catchy with a quirky video.

I’m a fan.

Seriously…I want a Tenori-On…those things are so amazing…

Most of y’all know that I’m falling in love with Atlanta’s Priscilla Renea. After being bombarded with over-autotuned in your face music, sometimes it’s nice to hear the utter simplicity of music. Ms. Renea combines pop vocals with some R&B and country, and has her sites set on mainstream success. Her track, “Hello My Apple” is one of my favorite songs of the summer.

I’m loving the video, which unfortunately I cannot embed on this site (record companies, what’s the purpose of this????) but you can check out the link here.

What do y’all think??

Colin Munroe feat. Jim Jones – Piano Lessons (REMIX)

The stellar Black Milk production and most mainstream radio accessible track yet released from the crooning Torontonian known as the “Unsung Hero,” “Piano Lessons,” an artfully crafted tale of Munroe’s musically stressful upbringing, stalled two months ago after not gaining MTV2 video access. Now, it gets a fresh can of paint in the form of Dipset member Jim Jones’ marijuana addled and muffled lyrics. The original version, featuring hood banger Joell Ortiz is phenomenal, but replacing him with the far more mainstream credible ex Cam’ron compatriot is a solid concept. Jones, who is now an urban A & R head at E1 (formerly)KOCH Records, seems to use this position to hop on the hottest internet underground tracks, historically giving MGMT’s Electric Feel, Asher Roth’s “I Love College,” Kid Cudi’s “Day n Nite,” and now this track love.

While sales for his Pray IV Reign album (featuring the ubiquitous Ron Browz produced “Pop Champagne”) have not been outstanding, it is a stroke of genius for the emcee to stay relevant by perpetually assaulting the internet (the new ‘streets’) with material, including this take on Munroe’s track, a hopeful attempt to cross onto urban and pop terrestrial radio.

Colin Munroe feat. 88-Keys – Last Cause

Colin Munroe feat. Young Buck – I’m Fine (Produced by K-Salaam & Beatnick)

After dropping a hot mixtape last year, the Toronto-based artist Colin Munroe (who has more street cred than you do), dropped two more hot tracks yesterday. First up, it’s a remix of Last Cause off the Unsung Hero Mixtape. The second track, I’m Fine featuring Young Buck, featuring my homies K-Salaam & Beatnick is probably one of my favorite Colin tracks so far, and will be featured on their Where The Streets Have No Name project in conjunction with Imeem.com and IllRoots.com.

In other Colin Munroe news, Marcus alerted in his post yesterday that MTV has rejected his video for Piano Sessions. SMH at MTV, a channel who is slowly falling into obscurity.

myspace.com/colinmunroe

Lykke Li wants to be a rapper.

I didn’t want to believe it at first. My boy told me about Lykke rapping at dive bars in Brooklyn and I couldn’t even picture it. But after Saturday night’s show it’s more than obvious that this is the case.

First and foremost, however, Lykke Li is a Swedish pop star. A woman, who at only 22, commands the stage with prescience and dare I say, swagger. The oddly selected venue of 6th and I Synagogue couldn’t hold her back, and audience members rose up out of the pews and ran to the front. For some reason, it reminded me of an old Baptist revival meeting and Lykke was the preacher.

The show itself, while not as technically sound as her last Black Cat performance (acoustics have a little to do with it), was yet another journey though her debut album, Youth Novels. For the course of the hour and a half set, she ran through her hits like “Little Bit,” and “Im Good, I’m Gone”, and DC ate her up. I’m still amazed that people knew every lyric of every song in her short catalog by heart, even if Lykke had to stop the out of pitch audience during a rendition of her song, “Let It Fall”, mocking them with that “I don’t give a f*ck attitude,” most reserved for rock stars—not 22 year old folk poppers.

So back to this girl being a rapper thing. If you follow Ms Li, then you know that she not only loves hip-hop, but he has a great appreciation for it. She’s got cosigns from Kanye and David Banner. She’s shared the stage with Q-Tip, redone Rick Ross’ Hustlin’, and drops Tribe and De La Soul in the middle of her sets.

However, she dropped a bomb on her audience on Saturday night.

A Milli.

Half the audience was stunned, the other half (including yours truly) was amazed. Sure, “A Milli,” is the pop song du jour, but coming from her, it was completely unexpected. I still have no words even 24 hours later.

So yes, even though I’m a supposed “hip-hop” writer, I stan for Lykke Li with a quickness. She is refreshing change to what we consider pop, and is at the forefront of the cross-cultural shift taking place in music today. If you can buy into her sound, you must see her live to be believed.

I’m already preaching her gospel.

Mick Boogie and Terry Urban present: The Grammy Remix Project

Mick Boogie and Terry Urban’s mixtapes have been fire, and this one is no exception. The duo’s newest target is the upcoming Grammy awards. Even though some of these tracks have been featured in other mixes, there is enough new ish in here to make it worth the download.

Tracklisting:

1) Adele f/ 6th Sense: Chasing Grammys (6th Sense Remix)
2) Coldplay f/ Jay-Z: Take The Hill (Terry Urban/nVMe Remix)
3) MIA f/ Nas: Paper Planes (Terry Urban Remix)
4) Lil Wayne f/ Kanye West: Lollipop (Kickdrums Remix)
5) Adele: Cold Shoulder (Mick Boogie/Garbs Remix)
6) Radiohead f/ Lupe: Reckon A Superstar (Remot/Mick Boogie Remix)
7) Kenna f/ Kanye West & Lupe: Say Goodbye To Sky (Terry Urban Mix)
Jonas Brothers: Love Bug (Mick Boogie/Garbs Remix)
9) Kanye West f/ MIA: Swagger Like Paper (Mick Boogie Remix)
10) Coldplay f/ Lil Wayne: Viva La Milli (Terry Urban Remix)
11) Katy Perry: I Kissed A Girl (Excel Remix)
12) John Mayer f/ Jay-Z: Say (Terry Urban/Judah Remix)
13) Brazilian Girls: Last Call (Discopusher Remix)
14) Lupe Fiasco f/ Sara Bareilles: I Got A Love Song (Remot Remix)
15) Kanye West f/ Big Sean: Good Morning (Kickdrums Remix)
16) Adele: Make You Feel My Love (Mick Boogie/Remot Remix)
17) Coldplay f/ Jay-Z: Lost Part 2 (Mick Boogie Remix)

“She Loves Everybody” has been getting multiple spins in my iPod for ages, and I’m glad to see that the Harvard boys have a new video for this track, which premeries on MTV tomorrow. The video is a good look, though I suggest you don’t cross that shorty though. you’re bound to hear more from Chester French in the near future.

Check out our coverage of their In-Store Event at For The Greater Good DC during Inauguration weekend.