DeBi TiRAR Mas FOTos has captured me in way that, I wasn’t expecting. Everyday I peel another layer and find a deeper meaning to the album. Hearing those horn on BAILE INoLVIDABLE… it’s a time machine that takes me to the beach in my mother hometown of Miche.
So I’ve been searching for more, the meaning behind the songs. I often find myself loving certain songs and not really understanding my attraction to it and in a weird way, with just a little effort, I find a deep rabbit hole behind a small pebble. Here’s what I’ve found so far:
Here are some screen captures from Bad Bunny’s Interview with Zane Lowe
This short film depicts an elder Puerto Rican who lives in modern day Puerto Rico, hinting subtly at what’s changed in Puerto Rico from when he was a young man. This couldn’t have come a better time given what happening in Puerto Rico.
Another familiar face joins Jimmy Fallon for the Tonight Show. Bad Bunny has stopped by the Tonight Show a few times before making this his 4th time. He and Jimmy Fallon seemingly have a great friendship. So much so that they even did a surprise pop-up show on the metro in NYC.
I hadn’t looked up John Mayer in a while but John never disappoints, he’s always got something for me to sing along to. Something that catches me before I understand why I like the music. Imagine being in middle school and everyone’s listening to rap and your bumping John Mayer. No one was asking me for music recommendation. But from this latest album my favorite song is Wild Blue. It almost sounds like you’re underwater
Shaboozey had a hell of a year. I first came across him in Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter but I think we all came to know him for his rendition of J-kwon’s Tipsy, putting a new flavor on an old song. I have a few songs that make my end of the year playlist but if I had one to share with you guys it would have to be Annabelle off his premier album Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going
I’m a new comer to country music, can you tell? My friends Sonia set it off with an invitation to Morgan Wallen’s Homecoming at the VOLS stadium this fall. Definitely a weekend to remember.
Since that weekend, we’ve been exchanging country song and I sent her a live performance of Paralyzed by Kevin Smiley on On The Radar’s Instagram. Someone commented saying that this was “crazy out country” which I found hilarious but interesting enough to go check him out on Spotify and listen to the rest of the singles he had on his profile. I’m glad a few months later he released his first album, Hurts Worse. Still have Broke as My Heart playing weekly.
Vince Staples has been one of my favorite artist in the last few years. He always delivers on thought provoking music that makes me reflect on what the fuck I’m doing in my life. You know what Vince is so special to me I’ll share my favorite song by him off the first project I ever heard from him. Producer by the late great Mac Miller, Stolen Youth, has a gem that always makes me stop what I’m doing and rap.
Knxwledge and Anderson .Paak did it again with another NxWorries Album to follow up the cult classic of Yes Lawd. You know that the beats are funky and Anderson .Paak has a way with words that damn near hypnotizing. It’s hard to pick my favorite on this one because there’s no skips on here for me but Distractions is one of them songs that you wish was longer
I know I’m late to the party on MIKE but I’m usually late to everything when it comes to music. To be honest I haven’t even listened to Kendrick’s GNX album. But MIKE caught me with this snippet of No Curse Lifted (rivers of love) I heard of instagram earlier this year. It’s GTA Vice City type dance sample that makes you wanna two step and Big MIKE gets down
Anthony Santos has been playing in my parent’s homes since I was a hair on my father’s nut suck. This year I finally decided to listen to his album Enamorado and it’s definitely a get up and move album. Get up and get something done. It’s Rum, Romance and Nylon Guitar strings at it’s finest. My favorite’s Esa Me La Doy Yo
I’m not really a Beyoncé fan, I think this might be the first album I’ve heard from her in it’s entirety and I loved it. I don’t really have anything say. Beyoncé just delivered on the years of hype I’ve been hearing about her. My top two are Blackbird and Bodyguard and I’m definitely going to take a deep dive into her discography this year.
Sir’s Chasing Summer album has been awaiting a sequel and for years it seem fans have been waiting on him to drop another album or project, something to supply the demand. And I believe Heavy fulfilled that, the vibe is a bit different because Sir himself has taken a new path of health and wellness. But understanding that you give an artist room to show us what he now has to say with this new perspective. I believe Poetry In Motion shows that the best. It’s a blend of the old with the new.
A few days ago Elliott Wilson went on the New Rory and Mal Podcast and had thing to say about Media and Journalism in the hip-hop space, specifically naming Cam’ron, Mase and Summer Walker. Saying that they aren’t Journalist and what they do isn’t good. I’m paraphrasing but I’ma be honest, it came off as hate. It comes off as Elliott wanting to gatekeep but not have to the power to do so. Elliott says he wants to compete, almost as if he asking for someone one to bring him off the bench and let him play the game. But Elliott’s thought process is one of the olden days. “It’s a direct to consumer market” as Wayno says on his show I’ll Do It Myself
Now a broken clock is right twice a day. I do like that Elliott says about Artist needing to talk about their music. I like when artist explain what their album’s about, what stay of mind they were in, what influenced them to make the new music. I love that type of content and it always make the listening experience better for me. As a consumer I do still get these moments where an artist speak on their music when the times right. But I understand if the artist doesn’t want to speak on the music too.
Frank Ocean is an artist that comes to mind that doesn’t have much interview speaking on his music but in this day in age. Artist don’t have to speak when they don’t want to and the artist now a multitude of platforms to go and speak with someone they want to have a conversation with if they want. Not just thee guy to speak to that Elliott once was. The media landscape has definitely changed and as one that didn’t know about The Source magazine or about XXL, I find the landscape more accessible.
Like Wayno says Elliott has got to adapt with the time. Elliot has to create his own platform instead of applying for jobs. Like a Wayno, like a New Rory and Mal, like an It Is What It Is. All these platforms invested in themselves, I think Elliot should do the same. You want to compete then take yourself off the bench and get in the game.
Christiana Means was a guest at Nine Club a few days ago where she spoke about her experience training the Chinese Olympic team for 3 months.
From her experience the Chinese Olympic skate team, “was a totally different approach then what I’d seen skateboarding evolve to.” Christiana says that the Chinese government had pulled 200 kids from all over the province of China from various sports that they thought would translate into “good” skaters. Sports like gymnastics and martial arts or soccer and then ran tests to see which kids were the most adaptable to skateboarding. That number of 200 kids was brought down to 30-50 kids and the remaining 30-50 kids were then put under contract to train for the upcoming Olympic games.
“This is crazy” utter Chris Roberts as he stumbles over his word in disbelief, “Because the parents are getting paid, the kids now… I just su.. because I discovered skateboarding, you discovered skateboarding, we did it because we loved it and we fell in love with it. Now listen, some of these kids may fall in love with it because they’re in that position… they may not.”
Jeron Wilson, to the left of Chris Roberts, put an emphasis on, “may”.
And just a moment later says, “We found skateboarding and it hit us, in a natural way”
Kelly Hart then asks, “So how do you teach them how to skate?” Christiana opens up about the discomfort in having to push or rather force kids to skate. She would have to half-heartedly encourage these kids to try an obstacle and watch a kid get hurt trying something that the new skaters weren’t ready for. As Christiana and the cast of the Nine Club say repeatedly, it was insane. It’s definitely an emotional rollercoaster.
Burning in paradise 