1.24.2013

Detach (v) - To remove from association or union with something; disconnect.

1.14.2013

Suit and Tie.


It's been seven long years since Justin Timberlake released one of the greatest R&B albums of all time. Seven years. Do you realize how long that is? There have been artists who have come and gone, people who have had entire careers in that span of time, and all the while Justin Timberlake has been starring in cheesy rom-coms and smashing Jessica Biel relentlessly while we all wait for another revolutionary album from him and the tailor to his sound, Timbaland.
FutureSex/Lovesounds wasn't just another R&B album. It was a coming of age album, a coming out party if you will, for one of the most talented artists the world has ever known. JT's first solo album, Justified, wasn't a bad album by any means. It was a good album, and a solid first effort for a then newly departed Timberlake who was looking to forge his own path separate from the bubblegum poppiness of N'Sync. With The Neptunes, who at the time couldn't miss as far as production goes, handling the bulk of the production of the album and Justin looking to crack the ice of his solo career, Justified served as a solid foundation for Timberlake to build his career upon. By his second album, Justin ditched the Neptunes and partnered with legendary producer Timbaland and quickly found what was missing from his music; He found his sound. The same way that all great basketball players have their go-to move, all great artists have their go-to producer. For some artists it's their song writer (Beyonce and The-Dream come to mind), for others it's their engineer (i.e. Drake and Noah "40" Shebib), for Justin it's his producer. Comparing Justified and FSLS is similar to comparing an untailored suit to one that's been tailored. After one listen of FSLS you could see the way that Justified hung off JT in some areas and needed to be tightened up in others. The way that Timbaland and Timberlake work together to make such beautiful, organic, at times sonically flawless music rivals the chemistry that Timbaland had in the 90's with the late Aaliyah. FSLS is Justin's perfect game, his hole in one, his masterpiece; So I understand why he was reluctant to follow it with anything less than the same gold-standard material.
But here we are on a Monday, (January 14th to be exact) and seemingly out of nowhere, Mr. Timberlake has decided to bless us with a new song titled "Suit and Tie". Happy listening.


I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous about this song when I saw it. Jay-Z doesn't have the best track record when being featured alongside male R&B singers (see "Meiple" by Robin Thicke and "Best Thing" by Usher), and with the release of Destiny's Child's new single "Nuclear" on Saturday, it became apparent that even artists that have been guaranteed hit-makers for their entire careers are capable of a strike every now and then. However, Suit and Tie shows that Justin still has it.
From the lackadaisical sizzurp drenched opening, the beat transitions into a full-fledged sprint while JT's soulful falsetto dances playfully along the red carpet that Timbaland so masterfully roles out. Not too far behind, emerges Jay-Z sounding rejuvenated and at home causally talking that shit that only people in the 1% would understand. Spitting tough lines like "you just got good genes so a nigga tryna cuff you". Just to give you an idea of how bossed up Jay's verse is, I'm gonna say this: It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if I was told that Hov recorded his verse in a Maybach that was being transported inside a leer jet that was en route to land aboard his private yacht. Hardbody Hov came through in a big way on this track.
Overall, I'm happy with the final product. I'm happy to see one of the true trailblazers in music creating again. I'm excited to see how this album will shift the landscape of R&B. And most of all, I'm curious to see what the past seven years have done for Justin Timberlake's evolution as an artist.
Ladies and Gents rejoice! The most soulful whiteboy this side of Robin Thicke is back.

1.10.2013

Vanilla Sky.


Sometimes I wonder if it's you, or the feeling I felt while I was with you that I miss. Though I'm completely content with the space I'm in now, I often find myself daydreaming of different times throughout our relationship. The wedding, the fair, almost crashing (a number of times), ice skating, you being a chatty drunk; I think back on all of those times and I still remember exactly how I felt. The exact conversations that were had, even what we were wearing in some memories.
I wonder sometimes if I'll ever feel that way again. I still remember seeing you unexpectedly in September and being completely in awe of the way that we were able to pick up without missing a beat, as if nothing had ever happened. Like stepping back in time almost. I don't know if it felt that way for you but for me it was surreal. Life is crazy.

1.04.2013

My shit tho.


I love it when conscious artists make ignorant videos.

Hi.


I've been gone for some time now, both in the literal and mental sense. A lot of things have happened in the span of the last month. To celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I decided to total my car and put myself in a $2,000 dollar hole that will probably leave me with a cash car until I save up enough for a real car, thus beginning the treacherous task known as a car note that I was so close to completing before that fateful moment on December 24th.

After wiping my tears and cleaning up the milk I've come to the realization that it could have been worse. I could've been injured. I could've injured someone else. I could've owed way more money. I'll be okay.

I've grown tired of hyping myself up with false New Year promises. This year I've opted for a more simplistic resolution (which I'm sure I'll eventually break) that I'd like to establish not just for this year, but for my life as whole. Anyone can lose weight, or work hard to get grades, but the real challenges, for me anyway, are the ones that involve morals, principals, and character. Perhaps I'll expand on that later, but ultimately I strive to be complete and well rounded in all aspects of life.

I really don't know what the purpose of this entry was. I guess it serves as a practice lap to get myself back in shape after such a long time of mental hibernation. Not all of it was intentional though. I had to reboot my entire computer, thus losing all pictures, music, writings, porn (j/k but not really), etc. I should really invest in an external hard drive but I probably won't. I'm done now, more writing to come.
Also, see D'Jango Unchained if you haven't.