Drake- I’m Ready For Ya (Song Leak)

By Kia O. Moore (kia@mingleberry.com)

What do you get when you intertwine the vocals of Nigerian-German, hip-hop/soul singer Nneka into a melodic hip-hop beat? Drake’s latest leak: I’m Ready For Ya.

Take a listen:

Check out the song that was sampled to create Drake’s latest track. View the video below:

Can Chris Brown keep it DRAMA FREE?

 Article provided by SoulSummer.com

 By Kia O. Moore (kia@mingleberry.com)

I am sitting in the car, the air conditioner is broken, and it feels like 102 degree weather. The radio is on, but I am not really listening to it. The thick North Carolina humidity plus the usual Charlotte 5′oclock traffic jam has my musical focus turned way down. Then I hear, “Here is your No. 1 requested jam of the day: Chris Brown’s Deuces.” My ears perk up and a turn the volume dial on high.

A beat that sounded like a mellowed out, remixed version of LL Cool J’s 1995 hit Doin’ it blasted from my speakers.  My head began to nod. I had that feeling that said, “Okay, Breezy is back and the people are loving him.” Then my head nod began to slow down as I listened to the lyrics.

It is basically Chris, Tyga, and newcomer Kevin MaCall saying “Bye, Bye,” to some girl and moving on to the next one.  Then Chris said a line that made my head nod stop mid rock.

“She know just what I need. She know just what I mean when I tell her to keep it drama free.” - Chris Brown

His intonation strongly stressed the words DRAMA FREE.

Then I got to thinking, this sounds like a well-crafted double entendre that I don’t want to like, but can’t stop grooving to. My head nod resumed with slight hesitation.

That line felt like an upper cut in reference to “the incident.” MaCall even makes reference to the famous Ike & Tina limo scuffle. (Not the best reference to use in a Chris Brown song, even if Tina fought back during that domestic incident.) If one is listening to Deuces from a slightly rhetorical feminist prospective and psychological prospective, one can correlate that this song was a straight up upper cut to domestic violence and could be used as an example of the domestic violence cycle.

From a feminist rhetorical approach, I ask, “Why does he have to “tell her” to keep it drama free? Could he not “ask her” to keep it drama free? Could she not understand if he “say[s] keep it drama free”? The word “tell” gives off the feeling of control. When observing domestic violence, control is what it is all about.

From the psychological prospective, Chris Brown’s public behavior through social media and song lyrics can be associated with a typical domestic violence cycle. After “the incident” Chris made what seemed to be a well scripted and not so well rehearsed YouTube apology. Then his apologetic, please, baby baby, please song was released: Crawl.

Next, we hear reports of Chris lashing out on Twitter about his less than pleasing sales of his 2009 studio release Graffiti. On May 17, 2010 Chris unleashed the Fan of a Fan Mixtape featuring the now Charlotte, NC radio favorite Deuces. June 27th came along, and many music listeners forgave Mr. Brown when he performed his moving tribute to Michael Jackson and apologized to his fans at the 2010 BET Awards.

• Did anyone catch the pattern? Incident, apology, please baby, lash-out, apology
• Domestic violence cycle: Incident, calm, making-up, tension building, incident
• Chris Brown’s track record: “the incident,” YouTube apology,Crawl, Deuces, ….

Deuces‘ lyrics sound like the tension building stage of the domestic violence cycle. The question is, can Chris Brown keep away from the incident stage?       - Mingleberry.com blogger

Chris Brown’s Deuces is ranked No. 2 as the Biggest Jump on the Billboard Ringtone Charts. The single also broke into the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Top 50 at No. 48.

Check out the Deuces Video for yourself:

2010 BET Awards in Review: The Overview

By Kia O. Moore    (kia@mingleberry.com)

When BET announced Queen Latifah was going to host this year’s awards, I was not so sure about that decision. With past years being hosted by comedians like Jamie Foxx, Mo’ Nique , Steve Harvey & Cedric the Entertainer and others, I was not confident that Queen was going to keep me thoroughly entertained during those down moments between performances.  But the Queen was a class act, taking us down memory lane with her many costume changes: from her award-winning Matron “Mama” Morton from the musical Chicago to her latest character from the motion picture Just Wright.

The movie character that stole the show was Cleeo from Set it Off. Cleeo was the comic relief when T.I. and she transitioned into one of the many BET performances. As Cleeo made a motion that looked as if  she was reaching for a gun tucked in her waist, T.I. jokingly made reference to a flashback of his bad run-in with gun possession charges and award shows. But, what really won me over on BET’s decision to have Queen Latifah host the show was when Queen let the MC out and spit over Drake’s radio-beloved track Forever.

The host was not the only great selection the BET Awards producers made. The individuals they selected to represent the New Era of Hip Hop were top notch. Drizzy Drake’s performance on the main stage was passion-filled. Fayetteville-native J. Cole had a snippet of a performance on the side stage during a transition to a commercial. Although it was short, his performance exuded the same intense passion as Drake’s did.

This year’s BET Honorees were a great choice that truly represented the best of black music: Prince Rogers Nelson for the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ and John Legend for the ‘BET Humanitarian Award.’ The tribute performance to Prince was quite a delight. Janelle Monae, Esperanza Spalding, Alicia Keys and to conclude the harmonic tribute: Pattie Labelle (the only performer to bring Prince to his feet prior to the end of their performance).

Prince may have been a tough music enthusiast to crack, but the vast majority of the BET performances put smiles on people faces, kept people on their feet and inspired them to groove.

The 2010 BET Awards gets a 9.2. (Hey, next year they may top this award show. I got to give them room to grow).

To get the dish on the Top 10 BET Awards Performances click here.

2010 BET Awards in Review: Top 10 Performances

By Kia O. Moore   (kia@mingleberry.com)

It took ten years, but after a decade of practice BET executed its Award Show in an exquisite manner. The nominees, the honorees, the sets, and YESSSSS the performances made 2010 BET Awards one you won’t mind watching repeatedly throughout the year. (This is BET we are talking about. You know they are going to play the BET Awards 10, like, twice a day until March 2011.)

To get the overview of the overall show click here.

BET Awards 10 | Top 10 Performances

The performances are what made this year’s awards show the best of all the BET Awards Shows of the past decade. Mingleberry.com put together its own awards list for the BET Awards 10 performance. We welcome your comments, so add some categories of your own.

Most Memorable Performance Award: Chris Brown’s MJJ Tribute

Copy, Paste, and Publish my words: “This performance revived Chris Brown’s barely breathing career. ” I would have sworn that the BET Award Producers, Jermaine Jackson, and Chris Brown held a séance seconds before Young Breezy went on stage. Every move Chris made was all Michael Joseph Jackson: Chris Brown was no longer present. The kick then leg tap, the crotch grab then hunch, the Motown 25th Anniversary Moonwalk routine; MJJ was alive in the body movements of CB.

Then Chris closed the performance with, what seemed to be sincere, crocodile tears. Singing Man in the Mirror must have resonated with the young singer. A song “asking him to change his ways” combined with him paying tribute to a man that people around the world love may have helped Chris “crawl back to [the] love [of his fans]” and move  his public persona from the seemingly cold and heartless Brown many came to know after “the incident.”  Later that night he won the Fandemonium Award, and award based on fan participation in social media voting.    (To see the performance click here.)

Chris Brown channels the spirit of the greatest entertainer that ever lived: Michael Jackson.

Most Dazzling Performance Award: Diddy-Dirty Money “Hello Good Morning”

The BET Awards truly raised its budget this year. All you needed to do was checkout the Diddy-Dirty Money performance. (Yeah, Diddy changed the name of the group from Dirty Money to Diddy-Dirty Money. Did anyone else notice that?) The performance was FIRE, literally. Every stanza and drum slap was accented by a flashing light or pyrotechnical blast. Everyone knows that Diddy is a flashy guy, and BET made sure he got all the pyro flash he needed.

Best Use of Set Award: Kayne West “Power”

With Kayne opening the show, you knew he would set the bar with the use of his stage set. Performing his latest single Power on top of a mountain that looked like the Nickelodeon GUTS Aggro Crag was a great attention grabber.  With every line he spat, the mountain spewed out red clouds of smoke that accented his Kool-Aid red, skateboarder-tight jeans and matching jean jacket.  Kayne took audience members and viewers on a powerful ride over the top of mountains as a background movie screen showed IMAX size movies with cameras panning over snowcapped mountains.

Kayne West perfoms his latest single "Power" on top of the BET Awards mountain.

The “No Y’all Didn’t BET” Award: El DeBarge

Wavey hair, soft high-pitched voice, and suave charm that make the ladies swoon: Who is it? Young Money’s Lloyd would be a great guess, but you got to go back about two decades…I am talking about El DeBarge. Yeaaaaaahhhhh Man! Black Entertainment Television took it back to the Video Soul days with the hazel-eyed Donnie Simpson. (If you don’t know what I am talking about, then you need to get your Soul Music IQ together.)  El took us on a DeBarge old school soul montage with songs All This Love and Rhythm of the Night, just to name a few.

Best Tribute Performance Award: Janelle Monae and Tyrese

BET Awards 10 could be known as the “Night of the Tributes.” Two tributes that stood out, besides the obvious Michael Jackson tribute mentioned above, were Janelle Monae with her rendition of Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” and Tyrese with his Teddy Pendergrass medley. Monae fidgeting around on the stage with her eccentric flare and ended her performance by being dragged from the stage. Her performance just transmitted that entertainment aura associated with his Purple Greatness. Tyrese unleashed his soul man sexy and drew panties out of pockets at he sang the songs of Teddy P. (the real Teddy P., not the Auto-Tune minstrel-show-like character we have come to know since 2005.)

Janelle Monae gives an insane performance as she sings Prince's "Let's Go Crazy."

Black Ty get in touch with his inner Teddy P.

Most Forgettable Performance Award: Eminem

I guess Em was out to reconnect with his black audience, but uhhhhh, he lost one.  Believe me, Em used to be in heavy rotation in my portable CD player back during his LP days: Slim Shady LP and Marshal Mathers LP to be specific. From 1999-2002, I could recite every lyric to every song off of both of those albums as soon as the beat dropped.  However, Em dropped the mic on this one and I cannot give you any details about his performance because I lost interest and changed the channel. If you can enlighten me and the other readers about the Eminem performance please leave a comment about it.

Eminem goes back to black as he raps to a predominately black audience.

Most Energetic Performance Award: DJ Khaled “All I Do is Win”

With a barrage of people on stage, an amped-up beat, and a dance instruction based chorus, audience members and viewers could not help but get energized. Everyones hand’s were “Up….and they stay[ed] there.” Then they proceed to go “UP. DOWN. UP. DOWN. UP. DOWN.” DJ Khaled and his crew: Ludacris, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, Diddy, Nicki Minaj, and T-Pain definitely won the crowd over with this song.

Mixtape DJ/Hypeman/Mr. We Da Best: DJ Khaled

‘I expected more from you’ Performance Award: Usher “There Goes My Baby”

All I can do is shake my head from side to side when I think about this on this one.  I can understand why Ush went with the more R&B friendly “There Goes My Baby” instead of the upbeat MTV favorite “OMG,” but the performance was boring. The element that kept me most intrigued was the special effect the BET crew used to make it look like Usher was standing on a cloud. Come on dude, I was more captivated by a cloud than your performance. Now that’s a problem.

This is not the Usher that I know and love. I have been rockin’ with Ush since his Call Me a Mack days. See, I grew up with an Usher-obsessed older sister and Usher and I share the same hometown (Chattanooga, TN), so I  can’t help but ride with the R.A.Y.M.O.N.D. However, this performance forced me to get off the Usher ride. His performance was for the birds, but it was nothing to tweet about.

Usher performs in the clouds.

BET Reminisce Award: Love Jones Reenactment

The BET Awards 10 stole my heart when they reminded me of “the sweetest thing I’ve ever known”: poetic black love. Nina Mosley and Darius Lovehall were in the building and the Love Jones was still strong between them.  The beautiful Nia Long strolled on stage in a  flirty cocktail dressed and begin to recite the final poem from the classic black love romance movie Love Jones. Larenz Tate was planted in the audience and armed with a mic. He responded to Nia’s Nina’s poem with Darius’s well-known and highly seductive lyrical verse. Tate ended the reenactment on the stage with his eyes transfixed on Nia’s blues-filled left thigh trying to become a funk-filled right. And that was alright with me! (Coffeehouse snaps for a wonderful poetic performance.)

Nia Long momentarily revives her role as Nina Mosley from "Love Jones."

Most Memorable BET Presentation Award: Terrence J & Rocsi

Another male/female duo that stole the show with their “so-called performance” was 106 & Parker’s Terrence J & Rocsi. While presenting the final award with a fan, the fan asked if the two had a lil’ something, something going on between them. Terrence J and Rocsi proceeded to kiss each other passionately and turn to the fan and said, “No,” in unison. Terrence J seemed to enjoy it and Rocsi had a hard time finishing her presentation after the kiss.

Cutty-buddies? Couple? Co-workers? Your guest is as good as mine.

Those are all the awards I have to give out. You ladies and gentlemen come up with some. Just leave your comment below.

2010 BET Awards in Review: Chris Brown’s Teary-eyed tribute to MJ

• What’s your take on the performance?

• How do you feel toward Chris Brown now?

Leave your comments below.

2010 BET Awards in Review: BET & El DeBarge Throwback

Check out the video below to get your Soul Music IQ up.

Donnie Simpson’s Video Soul Interview w/ El DeBarge

Small World… Or Small Industry World?

Small Wonder

Bentley’s RSVP hosted Small World’s listening party 6/8/2010 exposing the city to another emerging artist that vows to put NC on the map. Having been in the game for 3 years his first single “Pinky Ring Shining” featuring Luda and current single “Keep it Going” can be heard on satellite radio. As a Henderson native with roots in RDU and the QC this southern rapper stays true to his southern heritage which is displayed in his beats, delivery, and swagger.

Having worked with many producers worldwide this is not just a southern breed star but a music pioneer that is sure to make more than just ripples here in the South and abroad.

Flava Factory Sneaker Sale ($10 and up)

Find sneakers like these on sale at Flava Factory.

by Kia O. Moore (kia@mingleberry.com)

Tomorrow kicks off Memorial Day Weekend, which translates to barbecues, parties and sales. Urban clothing store Flava Factory gives you all three in one spot. Head down to 2041 South Blvd., Suite D, and get the weekend started off right.

Every shoe in the store is on sale from Friday, May 28 to Sunday, May 30. Sneaker freaks will burst with excitement upon entering the Factory. Jordans, Nike, Creative Recreation, Reebok, Alife, Adidas and more are priced to get the stock out of the door. Prices range from $50 to $75.

In the Factory, time saves money. Throughout Memorial Day Weekend, from 10am to noon you can purchase brand named, unique sneakers for $10!!! (Yeah you read it right.) Is there a catch, you may ask? Slightly, shoes are a season or two out of date and every shoe size is not available. But come on, $10 for some slightly old Jordans, Nikes, and what not…you can’t beat that.

Flava Factory understands that sneaker shopping can take a lot out of you, so they plan on feeding shoppers. Down-home soul food from Chicken Coup and finger-licking food from Mac’s Barbecue will be served. If you need something light, cold food selections will be available. Free drinks and wine will be served as well.

Like any Memorial Day gathering, well dressed folks, good food and tasty drinks is not complete without good music. There will be a in-store DJ all weekend. And you know a good party, or good sale for that matter, does not end until early in the morning. From Friday through Sunday, Flava Factory will be open until 2am.

Come out to Flava Factory’s Sneaker Feast and buy, eat, drink and be merry.

________________________________________________________

Where: Flava Factory

Location: 2041 South Blvd., Suite D

When: May 28-May 30

Time: 10am - 2am (all weekend)

What: Sneaker Sale ($10-$75)

Why: Brand named sneakers, Soul food, Barbecue, Good Music

Website: www.flavafactory.com

Contact: (704) 529-3900 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (704) 529-3900      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Inside Flava Factory South Blvd. location

Inside Look: King of the QC Dj Competition

By Kia O. Moore (kia@mingleberry.com)

King of the QC: DJ Competition sponsored by Smirnoff, SolKitchen & Creative Loafing

For three years Jack Daniels Whiskey has dominated Charlotte’s eclectic hip-hop crowd with the annual arts & culture showcase Art, Beats + Lyrics. In 2010, Smirnoff Vodka is preparing to entertain the same crowd with the      King of the QC: Dj Competition. Mingleberry.com chatted with the event’s coordinator, Michael Kitchen (aka Kitch), to find out more about this turntable affair.

Kitch said he has always wanted to put together an event like King of the QC. “It’s enough people [in Charlotte] who enjoy events like this.  These types of events can be found in other cities, and now it can be found here in Charlotte.”

To make an event like King of the QC happen (and to make it FREE on top of that) requires quite a bit of funding. That is where Smirnoff Vodka comes into play. Kitch knew that Smirnoff had talks of coordinating an event highlighting hip-hop culture. Being the business man that he was, Kitch pitched his Dj competition idea to the world’s #1 vodka company. To the benefit of Charlotte residents, Smirnoff agreed to help Kitch execute his idea.

Kitch hopes King of the QC will not be a one-time deal. “I want this to be a yearly event, and I want to keep it FREE.” In order to keep the dj competition going and the price below zero, sponsors are needed. Kitch said he stays on the lookout for sponsors. He explains, “I do it to keep everything reasonable.” Kitch understands that low finances are straining many people’s pockets these days. He empathizes, “Reasonable spending is on everybody’s mind right now.”

Entry may be free, but the event’s quality will be of usual SolKitchen and Creative Loafing anti-mainstream caliber. Kitch explains, “Expect some good deejaying, some good music, a great vibe and Charlotte’s best DJ’s.”  Kitch projects that the crowd will be “very diverse and fun.” Legendary hip-hop emcee Special Ed will perform during the competitions intermission. The post-competition after-party will be left in the hands of DJ Dummy, the DJ of Chi-town rapper Common.

The crowd will be thoroughly entertained, but they are obligated to put in work. The crowd shares in the responsibility of deciding the “DJ King” of the Queen City. A panel of judges will use crowd participation, technical skills, song selection, etc. to determine the QC’s top DJ.

All Charlotte DJ’s are welcomed to compete. Shejays are welcomed to join the competition too. Kitch explains, “Don’t let the title fool you. If a female DJ came up to me and said she wanted to be in the battle and she was good, I would let her enter at her own risk.”

There is no financial risk when gaining entry to King of the QC: DJ Competition. To place your name on the guest list for FREE entry, please register at www.smirnoffvip.com.

King of the QC: Dj Competition

• Day: May 24 (Monday)
• Time: 8pm - until
• Location: The Forum, 300 N. College St., Uptown Charlotte
• Details: 21 and older
• Register @ www.smirnoffvip.com

Hip-Hop Luminary Guru Succumbs To Cancer

Hip-hop icon Keith “Guru” Elam died Monday as a result of cancer-related causes, MTV reports. He was 43 years old.

Guru was hospitalized in March, and while some outlets reported that he suffered a heart attack, it was never confirmed.

Guru’s friend and partner Solar released a statement following his passing. “The world has lost one of the best MCs and hip-hop icons of all-time-my loyal best friend, partner, and brother, Guru,” Solar wrote, according to MTV. “Guru has been battling cancer for well over a year and has lost his battle! This is a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it, but tragically, this did not happen. The cancer took him. Now the world has lost a great man a true genius.”

Solar said Guru wrote a letter before his passing. “I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world,” the letter said. “I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options.”

The letter also addressed Guru’s concern for continuing his philanthropic efforts. “I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting.”

In the message, Guru credited Solar for his support. “My loyal best friend, partner, and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody’s feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf [of] myself and my son until he is of age to except on his own.”

The note also makes controversial references to DJ Premiere. “I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events, tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this,” the letter said. “I had nothing to do with him in life for 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ.

“As the sole founder of Gang Starr, I am very proud of what Gang Starr has meant to the music world and fans. I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have toured in places that I have never been before with Gang Starr or Jazzmatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential Hip-Hop/Jazz record withJazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now.

“The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time. And we as a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small-mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done and represents some of the best years of my life.”

As the duo Gang Starr with DJ Premiere, the group released its most successful album in 1998, Moment Of Truth. They emerged in the ‘80s and were featured in Spike Lee’s movie Mo Betta Blues. Gang Starr released its last album, The Ownerz, in 2003.