Biden doesn't believe the '94 crime bill increased mass incarceration. He blamed it on everything from drug legislation, to the institution of mandatory minimum sentences, and the many Black legislators that backed the bill. Everyone else is responsible, but his involvement is in no way negative, nor did it negatively impact the Black community.
How the hell did I miss the "March 2018" EP from Mila J, and more importantly this song? I'm a little salty that I found this song a year after its release, but I believe music finds you when it's supposed to. Somehow, something I was listening to allowed this song to make its way on to one of my Tidal Mixes.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the star of Netflix's: The Ghost Who Walks, Garland Scott. What started as an interview, quickly evolved into a conversation and almost a masterclass in the art of mastering your craft no matter the industry. Garland dropped a few gems, that I as a creative quickly picked up and I hope you're able to do the same.
When I first heard the song, the thing that captivated me was the haunting loop of the beat. Add to that, her mellow tone delivering the following message via lyrics; "Let me show you, baby, bumped your head maybe. Blessing you with all this love, but you ain't 'preciate me. Tried to tell you how I feel, but you hate communicating. Blessing you with all this love, love you never gave me. Why won't you, get it right? Get it right, but on your own time, not mine." and I was very curious about who Jayla Darden was.
On this week's edition of #Tidaltaughtme, we have the absolutely GORGEOUS Diamond White and "Cleopatron". I thought that I had never heard of Diamond, however, after I did my Googles, I realized I was familiar with her, just not her "actual" music. The 21-year-old was a recurring character on Season 6 of the now-defunct Fox Television show "Empire" as LaLa. Upon further research, I discovered that the Detroit native appeared in Disney's "The Lion King Musical" and on the X Factor in 2012. Diamond White is a seasoned actress, and her talent is a far cry from the timid, almost whisper singer she played on "Empire".
The aggressive song could be said to be sung from the perspective of a woman as if she was a man. The song begins "Dry your eyes, the fuck you cryin' for? Where's your spine? You ain't got that no more. The dick was fire, that's what I signed up for, but after all this time you're so damn insecure. You only had One Job nigga, the fuck?!?!?" I'm pretty sure many people have issues with her language and delivery but would be ok with the same lyrics/sentiments coming from a man. I'm glad that that double standard is no longer acknowledged and because of that, we are blessed with an artist like TeaMarr who freely expresses herself in such an honest and melodic way.
The documentary is Drea's admission application to film school. The oldest child in the Barris clan; Chloe, is a seemingly self-absorbed, social media obsessed freshman at USC. Drea is the sensible Barris who has figured out how pretentious her family (mainly her father) is and is trying her damndest to be the exact opposite. Izzy, the youngest girl is just not with the shits, so much so, that she refused to sign the waiver to have her likeness used for this documentary. Also; everyone in the family is scared shitless of Izzy. Next is Pops, the 4th Barris child, and the oldest boy who is a sensitive soul, which the whole family does not have the patience for. The next child is Kam, who seems to be a compulsive liar, not too bright, but absolutely lovable. Lastly, you have Brooklyn the 3-year old who is not often seen, but when he is you crack a smile.
Always actively involved in his community, his name has been splashed all over our televisions and social media feeds with his direct involvement in the R. Kelly case as the attorney representing the Savage family and other survivors. Mr. Griggs got as candid as he could about the case, but what was eventually revealed is his love for his family and the Atlanta community he assiduously works for.
I went to see the latest rendition of 'Shaft' last night. (Judge your mama!) I don't remember the majority of the previews, but one, in particular, did stand out. Somehow, someone is failing at their caregiving duties and keeps allowing Sylvester Stallone to sneak out of the house to make ENTIRE 'Rambo' movies! I need to know who is responsible. What disturbed me even more, was that Lil Nax X's controversial “country/not country” 'Old Town Road' was chosen to score the official 'Rambo Last Blood' trailer. Outside of the absurdity of the trailer, another oddity was the fact that Lil Nas X was noticeably absent from his own song. Billy Ray Cyrus is the only voice on this re-remix of 'Old Town Road'. Why won't they let this kid be great? The song was great enough to top the Billboard charts, but not great enough to be welcomed into the country music genre. It was poignant enough to be featured in a 'Rambo' promo with 173-year-old Sly Stallone, but not monumental enough to feature the artist that created the damn song. I know he'll get paid for it’s usage, and it will probably be a pretty penny. I just want to talk to you all about the constant gentrification of us. Industry plant or not, this kid knows what he's doing in order to stay relevant. You can also keep your bullshit arguments about his appropriating country culture because it's not true. They very clearly told Lil Nas "you can't sit with us"; while congratulating Billy Ray Cyrus for the #1 status of not his song and purposely removing Lil Nas from the narrative. It's one thing for someone to appreciate a genre, and another for a culture to continue to steal from another culture and attempt to erase the origins with which something was born. Do you think the Hip Hop community is too welcoming of others, while "others" actively and successfully ostracize us for not fitting into their aesthetic? Sound off below.
T.Nicole
Brandy Rayana Norwood’s 4th studio album “Afrodisiac” turned 15 this year. The album served as the Timbaland/Brandy collaboration I didn’t know I needed until it happened. Released June 28th, 2004, the end of my sophomore year of college; the list of star-studded producers included Kanye West, Timbaland, Warryn Campbell and more.
This was a defining new sound for Brandy as this was her first effort away from longtime producer/friend Rodney “Darkchild” Jenkins. It’s been reported that the two fell out when Brandy felt that the signature sound Darkchild created for her was being given to other artists. Another change this album produced was Brandy attempting to become more relatable to her fan base, as her image was always carefully curated by her mother/manager. She was coming off a breakup with “Husband” Robert Smith, which she addressed in the songs “Who I Am” and “I Tried”; there were rumors of discourse with then-fiancé Quentin Richardson which she also addressed in the T.I. assisted “Where You Wanna Be”. “Talk About Our Love”; highlighted typical relationship woes, but from a different angle than her normal cookie cutter approach that was force fed to her fans by her team.
My favorite song on the album is “I Tried” which samples Iron Maiden’s “The Clansman”. The darkest production on the album finds Brandy singing in an effortless tone to a lost love that thought he could he could run game on her. I think this is the first time Brandy ever cursed on a song; telling the past lover she knew what was going on when he left “the room and shit”, and she also knew he “had a bitch” and she “hated it”. I think this the most emotion I’ve ever felt listening to a Brandy song. I felt her pain on an almost visceral level. From the somber production to the cutting lyrics and every guttural ad lib, not everyone has had such a bitter end to a relationship after giving everything, but I feel almost anyone could relate to the anguish of this song.
Overall, this is my favorite album from Brandy. I loved Brandy as Moesha and Cinderella, but she came across on this project as a real person, not America’s sweetheart, and it was appreciated. Paired with Timbaland, she came across a little more gritty than the public was used to. At the time, Afrodisiac served as her most well-received project and performed well on the charts debuting at #3 on the US Billboard 200, and #4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. I’ll say that we are long overdue for another Brandy project with her last album being released in 2012. We are often teased with her tour performances on Instagram, and it was announced this week that she has a single coming with Daniel Caesar, but the collaboration I’m looking forward to most is one teased by Fantasia. The streets have been asking for this Fantasia, Jazmine Sullivan, Brandy collaboration for years and it looks like we may get that sooner than later. If you aren’t familiar, go back and take a listen to Afrodisiac. Let me know what your favorite tracks are from the album, and tell me what other classic albums you would like me to profile.
T.Nicole
