I Thought It Was Time For A New Review & A Recommendation.
I was determined, for along time, to write up a review on Timbaland's Shock Value, but after much consideration, I decided that my opinion is bias, as I adore Timbo & everything he does. So instead I opted to review an unusual album from an unusual kind of guy.


Mark Ronson - Version

Firstly, the lo down on Ronson, for those of you who don't know, Mark is a well respected UK born music producer, who mainly deals with the Hip-Hop side of things, he is only really known (so far) for his hit single "Ooh Wee" which featured "Ghostface Killah" & "Nate Dogg".

His current offering "Version" is a whole record full of cover versions, some classics, some not so. These are his interpretations of different tracks from a variety of artists, from "Coldplay" to "The Smiths" to "Britney". Ronson is a versatile producer, unlike others, he never sticks to the same style, he picks a style for an album & that is that, for this record he has chosen a ' Big Band' sort of feel, lots of Brass, less of the Strings & the usual Big Beats. Unfortunately that seems to be the end of it, this album feels very repetitive, it almost seems that every track is an extended version of the last.

Of course it's not all bad, the addition of many big names gives this album the feel of a Ronson classic, with the likes of "Amy WineHouse", "Lily Allen" & "Kasabian" dropped in to give a diverse feel to things is only a good thing (Winehouse's vocals on "Valerie" being a real highlight).

Still it fails to deliver as a classic, I expect this will sit in your CD player for a week or so, but I feel that may be last time you will play it. It's a fine offering, but I expected more, I expected to feel something for this album & want to play it again & again, Ronson is some what a visionary, This should have been a vision, but I just feel like saying "Must Try Harder"

Overall, there are some nice, blatant singles from this record, which I'm sure you will be hearing in the future. But apart from them, this is a somewhat 'messy' album of perfectly produced tracks with some nice featured talent, I enjoyed it, but it's not near a classic.

*** 3 Star
(Worth A Listen, Not A Purchase)

Rip - Thatgrapejuice.net

As News Was Announced Today That "Kelly Rowland's" Second Album Is To Be Pushed Back 1 Week, This Track Also Leaked.

It is called "Come Back", produced by "Scott Storch", this is a real 'club banger' which is extremely rare from Kelly.

I really like this track, I think I will like it even more the more I listen to it, it's good to hear Ms Rowland do something a bit different.

Just A Personal Post To Mark The Death Of Someone.

A Tribute to a 17 year old who died in my town yesterday, I worked with him for a few months last year & got to know him a little bit, I wasn't one of his close friends but it's not good to see anyone you know die, especially someone younger than you.

He passed his driving test on Saturday, crashed Wednesday & Died Thursday.

R.I.P

Billboard.com

R&B Stars (Lil') "Bow Wow" & "Omarion" Have Revealed That They Are Working On An Album Together.

This is an unusual step for two artists, who are quite different, to work on a whole album together, they will apparently start the recording process, of the two disc album, by the end of May.

Bow Wow told Billboard.com:
"Me and O have been trying to put this together for so many years, and now we've got the opportunity to do it"

He Said:
"We're in the creative process right now, still trying to come up with a title and everything. Me and him are coming up with ideas daily, so the process is gonna go real smooth. We're anxious to get in the studio together and make this whole thing happen."

I'm not sure who is going to produce the collabo, but "Timbaland" & "Stargate" would be an awesome contrast to produce such a unique record.

I'm not so sure of how good it will be, I think that the two sounds won't really flow together, but only time will tell.

Rip - Chris-Pix

Here Is The Apparent Second Single From "Rihanna's" New Album "Good Girl Gone Bad".

"Shut Up & Drive" is a middle of the road track, it has nothing on "Umbrella" but has it's charms, it feels more advanced than Rihanna's last album, but if this is the substance of her new album, I can't see it being a huge hit.

Give it a listen, it's a radio edit, so not that hot.

"Rihanna - Shut Up & Drive" (Radio Rip)

Source - Ballerstatus

Senegalese Hip-Hop Star Akon Has Apologised For His Antics With An Underage Girl.

The video has been circulating the internet for weeks now, I even posted it myself, but now Akon has turned out to have his say on the incident that has threatened to scare his career. In a statement given to TMZ.com Akon said:

"First, and most important to me, I want to sincerely apologise for the embarrassment and any pain I've caused to the young woman who joined me on-stage, her family and the Trinidad community for the events at my concert in Port of Spain on April 12th"

He continued:

"It was never my intention to embarrass or take advantage of my fans in any way, especially those under the age of 18. That is why we tried to make sure that the club did not admit anyone under 18 in the audience. Somehow, that standard was not met"

To be honest, I completely agree with Akon in this instance, he is a grown man & his show is obviously quite 'adult'. I'm sure he did not know that the girl was underage. But, whatever he says, & however many times he apologises, it will have an effect on his career & his success in the chart for some time.

Here Is The New Video From UK Soul Star Joss Stone.

It features "Common" & is entitled "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now", it will be the second single released from her third album "Introducing Joss Stone".

The album itself is pretty middle of the road, which is a shame, Joss has such a fantastic voice & it is put too waste on this record. She is never pushed far enough to really shine.

Anyway, give the video a look.

Source - Rap-up.com

Here Is The Cover Of "Kelly Rowland's" Highly Anticipated New Album "Ms Kelly".

I'm looking forward to this one quite a bit, he last offering was pretty credible, & all reports so far look good for her second record. Whether it will quite be as good as Beyonce's latest, only time will tell. One thing is for sure, it Will not sell anywhere near what B-Day has so far.

If You Did Not know Already, Solange Knowles Is The Younger Sister Of R&B Superstar Beyonce Knowles.

If reports are to be believed, Solange has been made heiress of her fathers music 'empire'. Matthew Knowles is set to step down as a record executive & artist manager in five years time, by then, he will have trained up Solange to do the job he is so good at.

This means that Solange will become Beyonce's manager, a very hard task, as Beyonce is probably the worlds most famous R&B star. She will also have to manage other artists, scope new talent, & generally keep things smooth.

Apart from this, Solange is also pursuing a music career of her own, she is due to release further solo material later this year.

Let's see how it goes for her in the future, apparently one Knowles isn't enough?