Category: 2016

[Thoughts] That Is SOoo Last Year

Greetings fellow bloggers! If you are reading this you are already aware that the Creator has given us another year! Another chance to become better homo-sapiens. Another chance to spread more love is right around the corner from us all!

2016 was a shocker year for me, mostly because of the mass panic occurring on monumental levels anytime ANYTHING  was addressed in media. Donald Trump won the presidency and people literally were trying to flee the country. Side note: My prayer is that people don’t put so much faith in government this year.My prayer is that we wake up from being clones controlled by consumerism and politics this year. George Michael joined Prince and David Bowie in the sky and I wept for the future of music.Is there a bright side somewhere?

Last year was eventful to say the least, but I’m not one to complain constantly and forget that there is always much to be grateful for. After all, the entire year wasn’t a bust was it? I had some good times: My sister got married, my brother got engaged, my health started making a turn for the better, my parents are doing well, and my pockets aren’t as empty as usual. All in all a win! Hey, Metallica even dropped an album, so why aren’t we rejoicing?!I was going to do a list of my favorite albums of 2016, but I figured I would combine afew of my favorite things of 2016 in one post. So hereeeeee weee goooooo!!

Favorite Concert:

Leon.jpg

Leon Bridges with Lianne La Havas

Great Times at The Wolf Trappe in Vienna,Virginia! If you have paid me and this blog ANY MIND AT ALL over the past few years, you will know that I’m completely in love with Ms. La Havas and her finger picking style. The songstress mesmerized her audience from The Wolf Trappe’s outdoor theater setup and I just wanted to die! I quickly turned into a stan as I sang along with her word for word and was sad to see her go. Mr. Bridges was headlining, but its only a matter of time before I get to see Ms. La Havas doing the same.

Other concerts I liked last year: Lit, Everclear, Sugar Ray, Bush, 98 Degrees,

Favorite Reads:

anna

Anna Kendrick- Scrappy Little Nobody

Ha! I was waiting for this come out all year. The book was more of a semi-autobiographical essay book of Kendrick’s thoughts and rise to fame. She comes across as a down to earth, witty, intelligent chick who works hard in an industry we don’t know a whole lot about. Very well done Kendrick! Also, I’m kinda pissed at you that I had to google ‘dolphin rape.’ We now know that we know nothing!

Other books I liked last year: Iron Goddess A Shea Stevens Thriller by Dharma Kelleher

Favorite Album:

Emily.jpg

Esperanza Spalding-Emily’s D+Evolution

I’m honestly SHOCKED  that this album wasn’t in everybody’s top 10 albums of the year! Ms. Spalding introduced us to Emily, her younger alter-ego, who had many existential questions but teetered some of my own thoughts exactly. On top of it all, I would say Ms. Spalding was being experimental in sound, but it soon became clear in listening, that she is just a musical genius and I am late to the party. Bravo! Emily’s D+ Evolution was unlike anything I’d heard on radio last year and I hope she keeps the good tunes flowing. The first time I heard Good Lava, I almost cried because it was the perfect of ever sound I ever needed to hear, but couldn’t put into words. Yessuh!

Other albums I really liked last year: Bruno Mars-24k Magic, Robert Glasper-Everything’s Beautiful, Corrine Bailey Rae- The Heart Speaks In Whispers, Metallica- Hardwired…To Self Destruct

Check me out on twitter: @DropaJewel @Dropapost

 

 

{Thoughts} Is This The Beginning of The End?

December 2016 is upon us. A wise man once asked: Is this the end of the beginning, or the beginning of the end? The words of Ozzy Osbourne ring true as 2016, as we know it, is coming to a close. So much has happened over the last 11 months and it makes me wonder how to end this year with a bang. Unarmed Blacks are still being killed in record numbers all across the Unites States. The Presidential election was no doubt the talk of the year. We lost come of our most influential musicians of all time. Some of us lost friends/family and loved ones who were just answering the call to transition from this realm. Some of us fell short of reaching our goals this year. Whether to lose weight, exercise more, save money, stop smoking, or live debt free…this year was interesting to say the least.

But if you are reading this…there is still time. There is still hope.

If you are reading this, you are a living breathing organism existing in the present. As long as there is breath in your body, you have an opportunity to be the change you would like to see in the world. I’ve often said that 2016 was a year to realize that we need more love and compassion for each other. So what will 2017 offer?

 

{Thoughts}Child Star Turned Rapper, Orlando Brown’s F*ck My Fame

Well, well, well…what the hell is going on here? We have new music from child star Orlando Brown entitled Fuck My Fame. For those of you unfamiliar, Brown was a child actor in the 90’s starring in many movies and more recently the Disney Channel tv series That’s So Raven, opposite Raven Symone. I’ve read the recent claims that Brown has gone off the deep end (as many child stars do) getting locked up, drugging out and making claims about his sexcapades with other child stars (no shade). In any event, I can’t help but wonder what the hell is going on with child stars REALLY? Are they trying to shake the squeeky clean child image? Are they bored with all that money? Are the just people trying to be people and express themselves? As a functioning member of a non-child star society, and a regular Joe, I’ve noticed that ALL regular Joes have an opinion on what happens when you are in the limelight at such a young age etc etc. The fact still remains that our opinions, no matter how well articulated are just that…OPINIONS. I am not the person willing to sit down and execute hours of research and case studies as to why people do what they do…rich or not. Kudos to those who give that many fucks. In any event, for the sake of this blog being free, clear, and open minded, I wanted to give Brown’s single Fuck My Fame an unbiased listen…and it ACTUALLY isn’t bad. Could just be me, but I’m all for individuality and deep end madness too. *shrug* Check out the video and lend me your thoughts.

{Article}The Girlfriend Experience

http://studioatgawker.kinja.com/meet-the-women-who-get-paid-to-be-someones-girlfriend-1758132970?utm_source=taboola

Wow. This is a really dope article from Studioatgawker, about someone who gets paid to be a girlfriend. Like…more than JUST a sex worker. I think that some people are maybe too busy to go try to make a relationship the old fashioned way and hell, we all get lonely sometimes. If I caught the tail end of the article correctly, the series The Girlfriend Experience appears on starrz. I’m going to have to check this out.

{Video} Dick Gregory on The Breakfast Club

Let me preface this by saying, I love Dick Gregory! He frequents a radio show down here at my station and is good friends with the host. He is an inspiration, a truth seeker and funny as hell. The part people miss is the straight up FACTS he gives, as many are comfortable in enjoying their own ignorance. Mr. Dick Gregory is a voice of wisdom in a time when we need encouragement. Check out his interview on The Breakfast Club, and keep you ears wide open.

{New Album Alert} Weezer (White Album)

The maker of the universe smiles on us today, as Weezer drops yet another self titled album! I’ve been a HUGE fan of Weezer for some years now (remember I’m of the ‘when MTV played music’ generation). In any event, I don’t see albums promoted as well as they used to,  and I was hoping for some new music to start my weekend. To God be the Glory.

Go ahead and cop the white album everywhere good music is sold and check out their summer tour dates on weezer.com. I’ll see you there.

itunes http://smarturl.it/WeezerIT?IQid=youtube

 

{New Ish} Bink Baghdad-Cool Like That

Ahhhh! Bink Baghdad is back, rhyming over the Digable Planets classic, Rebirth of Slick. Good to see him back at it, always giving 100%. It always warms my heart to see the younger generation paying homage to some throwback hip hop instead of shading it.  Show your twitter love @BinkBaghdad and tell him DropaJewel sent you.

#Go

{Hip Hop Documentary Review}Murder Rap

Vegas is back with Hip Hop NOW installment, reviewing the documentary Murder Rap. I literally can not keep up with some of these hip hop docs, but props to Vegas for putting me on game. I was a sure fire Biggie fan, and I think it’s always interesting to see the small details that documentaries can add and open up discussion. Show your twitter love @VegasWorldInc and peep his blog hiphopolitic.com.

#DoItNow