She Get it or Got it from her Mama?

First, I must apologize for my absence lately. I have become very busy with extra stuff at work plus the winding down of the school session. I doubt anyone even noticed anyway....so down to business....

Mr. Will.I.Am of the Black Eyes Peas is coming out with a solo album (drops Setember 25th) and has released his first single off of it "I Got it from my Mama".


Will.I.Am
The basic message of the song is something that we have all heard before: if you want to know how a girl is going to turn out when she is older then look at her mother. If her mom is hot, the girl will be hot, if her mom is ugly, the girl will be as well, and so on. I am lucky enough to have a beautiful mother so this "rule" does not particularly bother me. It is unfortunate for those girls whose mother's aren't ...."looking their best", I'll say.

When I first heard this song it immediately reminded me of a song that I love by Juvenile titled "Mama Got A** (She Get if from her Mama)". It's not exactly the same message as that of Will.I.Am, but very similar. Personally I like the Juvenile song better.


Juvenile

In terms of the actual videos...I don't really like either, but that is because I really don't enjoy any video that includes women half dressed and dancing seductively. If I heard Will.I.Am's on the radio, I would probably get bored and change the station....or I would be reminded of how much I like Juvenile's "version" and put that on. I'm a little dissapointed with this first single of Will's. I hope he comes out with better.

I dedicate both of these to girls who may not have the best looking "mamas"...prove these guys wrong.

I Got it from My Mama - Will.I.Am

View the LYRICS to this song.




Mama Got A** (She Get it from her Mama) - Juvenile

View the LYRICS to this song.

Ho - Ludacris

View the LYRICS to this song.

The other day I mentioned that there are many rap songs that I enjoy despite their actual lyrical content. Today I provide examples of such songs. One of the best examples is the Ho song by Ludacris.

I enjoy Ludacris mainly because he is creative and witty. This song is a great display of his sense of humor. I find it hilarious, and I definitely sing along to it in my car.

I was reminded of this because of the controversy that surrounded Imus and his stupid remarks. That incident brought a lot of attention to hip-hop artists and their use of the word "ho". People started claiming how offensive it was and blah blah blah.

Now I am a woman, and if someone specifically referred to me as a "ho" then I would definitely be offended. When it is used to describe other women in rap songs however, I really don't care. I think people have forgotten that hos actually do exist in the world!...


OMG that's amazing! If you type the word "ho" enough, a picture of Paris Hilton magically appears! Crazy!

Favorite Lines:

Come on playa once a ho always
And hos never close they open like hallways
An heres a ho cake for you whole ho crew
an everybody wants some cuz
hoes gotta eat too...

Hey ho how ya doin, where ya been?
Prolly doin
ho stuff cuz there you ho again

Please note that in the song not once does he say that all women are hos. He is only referring to those who actually are....




Oh geez..not again! Ok, how bout I stop typing the word "ho" and get to the video.

I was a little disappointed when I saw the video. I am not a fan of the way it is animated. At first I thought that maybe they couldn't find any "actresses" willing to portray hoes, but then I realized what a silly thought that was. There are women out there who would do anything to get on camera!




OK, enough!!

I dedicate this to all the real hos out there...be safe!

Big Things Poppin (Do It) - T.I.

View the LYRICS to this song.

First I have to say that I loooooooove this song, and it has nothing to do with what he is saying (cause I really have no idea). That is actually how I feel about most rap songs. If they have a good beat, melody, and hook, I'll love it no matter what they are saying...to a certain extent. I think this is another one of those songs where the rapper talks about how great they are. Regardless, this is definitely a song I rock to in my car.

I have more than a few obervations for this one so I am gonna go ahead and post the video first.

I dedicate this song/video to those of you who are just doin it everyday!

Observations:

1.) I give you props for workin out and stayin in shape Mr. T.I., but you need to eat a few sandwiches before you go walking around with your shirt off like that...hence, my gift to you :



Paulie T.I. want a cracker sandwich?

2.) I don't know how I feel about this facial expression:

He does it quite a bit, and I find it unattractive, sexy, and scary all at the same time. This next one however, is just plain scary:

Calm down dude, don't pop a blood vessel.

3.) Uhhhh....nice product placemet Nokia. Did they foot the bill for this video?

I think I'll stick with my ipod for now, but good effort

4.) Favorite Line: "...Who you think u finna scare?"

Only in the past couple years have I become familiar with the use of "finna". The Source provided me with the etymology of the word.

It began with : fi'n - v. (derived from "fixin") Getting ready to do something. "I'm fi'n to tell you what's up wit Sheila and Snoopy."

And from that came: finna - v. going to. "Son, I finna bust a cap."

Don't you just love the example sentences they used?! I know at least half of you would add "in yo ass" to the end of the sentence for "finna"....or am I the only one?

5.) It really bugs me the way guys today wear their hats tipped to the side like this:

Everytime I see this, it takes so much will power to not walk up to the guy and just flick the hat off his head

6.) To be continued? What exactly will be continued? You walking around with your posse more? Can't wait!

7.) For anyone that watches MTV, did you notice that for awhile they played parts of this video during the ending credits of like EVERY show? It was a bit much.

Overall the video doesn't impress me much. It's a step up from showing off cars, half-necked girls, and throwing money at the camera, but it is still lacking. Love the song, the video...not so much.

Icky Thump - The White Stripes

View the LYRICS to this song.

I won't even pretend that I know what this song is about. People have their different theories but I don't care enough to venture a guess. What I find interesting about this duo is that there was a time when people didn't know if they were brother and sister or a divorced couple. According to Wikipedia they are divorced.

Icky Thump is a purposly mispelled "Ecky Thump" which is an exclamation of surprise or shock, often used to mock the Northern dialects of Lancashire and Yorkshire.

I like the video because it is more creative than most....and they stick to their usual red, black, and white color scheme. Now obviously scenes in the video are set in Mexico, and it seems like they were going for a spanish sound in the song, but it comes off as Scottish sounding to me. Am I completely wrong here? *Sigh*...I don't feel qualified to critique their music so I'll just say I respect the video and leave it at that.

I dedicate this to........?

The Voice Within - Christina Aguilera

View the LYRICS to this song.

Technically, whenever I post a song that someone else hasn't requested, then it is my request I suppose. Today, however, is a bit different. This is my choice and my request for a reason. Whenver I am going through a difficut time or in a situation where it is hard to trust my gut, this song always ends up on repeat on my stereo. It's one of those times again, so here it is.

A lot of the time what you feel you need to do, will make you feel like crap, but in the end it is for the best....at least you hope it is. I hope it is.

I don't feel like much of a critic today so I will have to skip that part and just get to the video.

I dedicate this to anyone who needs to trust their voice within no matter how difficult it is....today (and for many more to come) that includes me.



This is so much harder than I ever imagined. I'm sorry.

The Price of Reality - Amen

View the LYRICS to this song.

This song was requested by blogger SiD who writes the blog A Space For Music Liberation. He said,

The video for [this] song really got me into the band, who are led by the enigmatic Casey Chaos.

This post is a perfect example of why I ask for song suggestions. I have never heard of this group and probably....make that definitely... wouldn't have posted it unless it was requested. But I am all about posting for the people, so request away! I love to discover new bands and music, and a great way to do that is to find out what other people like. I will even go as far as posting country if someone REALLY wanted me to...obviously that is not my genre of choice.

Frankly, this video scares me a bit. The blood makes me uncomfortable and I was afraid that the lead singer would bite the head off the crow at some point (think Ozzy). I did actually think the girls in their uniforms dancing with the guns was kind of cool, but only for artistic reasons.

This song is dedicated to you SiD! Thanks for the request.

Wall to Wall - Chris Brown

View the LYRICS to this song.

Poor little Chris has too many girls that want him and he can't choose. Boo effing hoo.


I really don't have much to say about this song. It's not quite the most original content, and a bit shallow. It seems like Mr. Brown needed another song to fill a slot in his album repetoire, so this was written within a minute or so to remedy that. At least the video isn't quite as trite as most hip-hop videos, although I'm not so much a fan of the vampire theme.

I feel as though I am being harsh, but I think it's because I find cockiness very unattractive. Writing a song about how many girls you have to fend off causes me to roll my eyes and tell you to get over yourself!

Least favorite line:

Another two just came and said they love me on the radio
Two twins, thats the coolest scenerio

Ugh! Seriously??!

The song itself is pretty boring to me. Could I see myself rockin to this in my car? No
Could I see people rushing to the dance floor in a club if this came on? No

My favorite part ould have to be the two little kids dancing in the beginning. The rest I could do without.

I dedicate this to guys (and girls) who need to get over themselves. There's a fine line between confidence and cockiness, and it's sooo not attractive when you cross it.

Who did it Better?: Proud Mary

View the LYRICS to this song.

Orginally I was going to compare Ike and Tina's version of this song with Beyonce's performance of it at the 2005 Kennedy Center Honors, thinking that Ike and Tina did the original. I was surprised to find that I was wrong! I actually had to do a little digging to find who did the true original, and good ol' Wikipedia gave me the answers.

Various people (Elvis, Prince, Beyonce & Jewel) have performed this song, but the orginal was done by the rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. The most famous cover version was done by Ike and Tina.

Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival

This version wasn't as different as I thought it would be from Ike and Tina's. My favorite thing about it is the way the lead singer pronounces "burnin" and "turnin". I also enjoy the fact that they have a big wheel on the set actually turning. I'd have to say that the performance itself doesn't compare to Tina. She makes it much more exciting. This version I can see myself dozing off to while Tina's version makes you wanna get up and dance!



Proud Mary - Ike & Tina Turner

This was done only 2 years after the release of the original which surprised me, especially since the original did well on the charts. It seems to me that one should wait at least five years to re-do a song unless the original was really bad and not popular. Ike and Tina took this and made it their own however. My ignorance about the original performers proves how successful they were.

Like I said, this performance is much more entertaining and entergetic. Is is just me, or does Ike look like a villain character from a Diney movie? I just can't quite put my finger on which one. They should have kept him off camera and just stuck to his vocals. We all know Tina is the real star.




Proud Mary - Beyonce at the 2005 Kennedy Center Honors

Just because I was going to orginally post this before I discovered the true orginal artist, I still will. Beyonce performed this for Tina Turner who was one of the honorees at the Kennedy Center Honors that year. I have said this before, and I will say it again, I am pretty much sick of Beyonce but I can't deny that she is a good performer. As much as I hate to admit it, she did justice to Tina's performance. It's a good thing her weave is sewn on well cause it could easily fly off they way she's whipping her head around. As we have recently seen though, she prefers to attack her audience with pyrotechnics, not hair.

I hate when artists tell the audience to stand up. When they all do, they end up either standing there all awkward not knowing what to do, or they dance when they shouldn't, like the man shown with 1:48 left in the video.

At these awards, when musical artists are honored they have a current, popular young artist come and perform one of their classic songs for them. Now this is a nice thought, but if it were me being honored I'm not sure I would enjoy it. It's like saying to the honoree: "you're over the hill so here's someone younger to do what you used to be able to". I swear if you watch closely you can see the sadness in the eyes of the honorees for a split second.

...and of course the question again is: Who did it better?

My vote is definitely for Tina....forget Ike.

Made & Re-Made #2: I'll Be There

View the LYRICS to this song.

This is a classic song, so there is a chance that more than one person has redone it, but I don't care. These are the only two versions I care about.

I'll Be There - The Jackson 5

Ahhh, the days when Michael Jackson was still cute and normal. I enjoy watching old performances of the Jackson 5. This particular one was a 1971 television performance. Thier clothes are a little spacey, but the performance is classic. The second song they go into is "Feelin' Alright", but we don't care about that one right now....it's worth watching though just to see Diana Ross dance with the group on those toothpicks she tried to pass off as legs.

It's great how she pulls Michael out of the way twice so she can be the center of attention. The combination of her yellow outfit, chicken legs, and bad dance moves leads me to believe that Diana Ross was the actual inventor of the funky chicken, and this is where it all started...



Before we get to the re-made version of this song I had to show the modern-day performance of it by the Jackson 5 just so you can see the drastic difference. Before I even get to that though, I'll ease you into it with this, so the shock isn't too much for you:



I do wonder what is going on inside his head. It really kind of makes you sad when you actually see all at once, the metamorphisis that resulted in this performace:



Lisa Marie, sweetie, you must have seriously seen something that no one else did.


You have to admit that Michael is talented...I mean how many artists do you know who bring themselves to tears during their own performance?


I'll Be There - Mariah Carey

Along with Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Patti Labelle, Celine Dione, etc., Mariah Carey is one of the best female vocalists of our time. There are not many artists who can use the recording from a live performance on their CD. I have her "Number 1's" CD which contains this performance, and it is practically flawless. The male singer, Trey Lorenz, is an amazing singer himself. It's too bad he wasn't more successful.

I dedicate this song to anyone who really needs someone to be there for them. Be thankful if you already have that.

Who did it Better?: Say You, Say Me

View the LYRICS to this song.

I was never really a fan of Lionel Richie. I am pretty indifferent when it comes to his music. The only reason I am posting this song is because of the person who did their own take on it. Scroll down if you can't wait to see who.

Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie

I had never seen this video before I looked it up. I immediately noticed that it was used in the soundtrack of a movie. Normally I wouldn't have cared which one, but the faces looked so familiar to me that I had to find out. The movie is the 1985 film White Nights starring Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines, Jerzy Skolimowski, Helen Mirren, and Isabella Rossellini.

Mikhail Baryshnikov was the one who looked extremely familiar to me, but I couldn't quite place him. Then I remembered that he was in the last season of Sex in the City. He played Carrie's love interest who selfishly whisked her away to Paris.

I dedicate this to Lionel Richie himself who is speculated to be a grandfather soon! On second thought, I'll dedicate it to Nicole too....she needs all the support she can get.



Say You, Say Me - Stacy Ferguson on Kids Incorporated

Now we come to the reason I chose this song. I absolutely loved the show Kids Incorporated when I was younger so I was very surprised when I found out that Stacy Ferguson, aka Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, was one of the cast members.

Stacy Ferguson, "Fergie"
I got to meet all the members of BEP when they performed at my school years ago, before they were really known. Meeting Fergie up close was a bit shocking. Let's just say the view of her on stage is much more flattering then the right-in-front-of-you view. If I had known then that she was in Kids Incorporated, I would have been much more excited to meet her.

On this Kids Incorporated episode titled "Stacy and the Clown", Fergie sang "Say You, Say Me". Now I have seen Stepen King's tv mini-series "It", but the clown in this episode seriously freaked me out more than Pennywise.

I really would like to know the premise of this episode. It seems like it had to be something incredibly ridiculous.

Coulrophobia:

Coulrophobia is an abnormal or exaggerated fear of clowns. It is not uncommon among children, but is also sometimes found in teenagers and adults as well. Sufferers sometimes acquire a fear of clowns after having a bad experience with one personally, or seeing a sinister portrayal of one in the media.

I dedicate this to those people who suffer from coulrophobia....I understand now.

Now the question is....who did it better?

Hakuna Matata - Disney's "The Lion King"

View the LYRICS to this song.

When I hear "Don't Worry be Happy" I'm reminded of this song too. I loved this movie. Too bad Simba's Hakuna Matata mentality was shattered when he realized the home he left behind was in shambles because of him.

Lesson: This "no worries" phrase doesn't cut it if you have responsibility for people other than yourself...such as entire kingdoms.


Jonathan Taylor Thomas:

speaking voice for cub Simba

Jason Weaver:

singing voice for cub Simba

Who did it Better?: I Drive Myself Crazy - N'Sync

View the LYRICS to this song.

I had a completely different idea for today's post, but then I stumbled across a video on YouTube that I found very amusing. Some guys did their own version of the music video for N'Sync's "I Drive Myself Crazy", and I think they did a better job than the actual video....but I will let you judge for yourself....

I dedicate today's posts to talented amateur artists...the professionals don't always do it better. Also- keeping the lyrics in mind- I dedicate this to the people that realized they let someone go that they shouldn't have.

I Drive Myself Crazy - N'Sync

Observations:

1.) Justin's hair is a very disturbing, unnatural blond color. The only other male I can think of with such artificial blondness is Zack Morris.



2.) Chris. The braids? Whose idea was that and WHY? Promise us you'll never do that again.

3.) Poor Lance didn't going crazy because of a girl. He went crazy because he had to pretend to be straight for so long!


4.) Joey's girlfriend is totally a full-on Monet.





Drive Myself Crazy - ?

Jack Thomas and Dan Hasty did this for their senior video project, and I fully enjoy it. Obviously they did not have access to the same type of equipment that the professionals did, so you can't really compare the cinematograpy - don't i sound like i know what i'm talking about?...not really? Anyway... Based on just the video, I think this one is funnier than the N'Sync version. I didn't realize until watching this the second time through that it's not N'Sync singing. The vocals on this one are definitely not the same as in the N'Sync video, so whoever did it, great job!

P.S. I love the bunny ears.



Now the question is....who did it better?

Made & Re-Made #1: Toy Soldiers

I have decided to start a new "series." Every once and a while I will post a song in its original form, and then a new version of it created by another artist. This includes rappers who use the chorus from an old song as a hook in their new one. The first of this series is Toy Soldier. The orgininal was sang by Martika and then Eminem later used the chorus in his own version.

Toy Soldiers - Martika
View the LYRICS to this song.

I've read the lyrics to this song and I still can't quite grasp what it's about. Maybe someone can enlighten me with their theory. Whatever she is singing about however, she is very passionate about it in the video. I loved this song when I was a kid, and I actually like the "remake" done by Eminem.


...is it just me, or does Martika remind you of actress Shannyn Sossamon from A Knight's Tale?


Shannyn Sossamon

Like Toy Soldiers - Eminem
View the LYRICS to this song.

I never had the patience to actually listen to this song and figure out what Eminem is talking about, so I was pleased to see that the YouTube member that posted this video provided the following description:

"Like Toy Soldiers" is a song by rapper Eminem on his worldwide hit album Encore, that tells the story of his feuds in an attempt to settle down the rap community. He speaks his heart about problems with The Source magazine and its editor Benzino, as well as Murder Inc. Records. He explains the beef between Ja Rule and 50 Cent. He finishes off the song by offering a truce to his enemies.

I respect Eminem as an artist...except for the disturbing song in which he kills his wife...but I will ignore that for now and give him props for this one.

I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor

View the LYRICS to this song.

I am super stressed this week, which has led me to this song choice. It doesn't only have to be about surviving a failed relationship. This is a great song for anyone who needs to get through any type of difficult time. I like to put it on when I am stressed. Also, it just so happens that anytime I wish I could just get away, to make myself feel better I imagine myself spinning around in circles on roller skates, wearing pink spandex, a sequined top, and a bow tie. It works.

I dedicate this to anyone who feels that they need to survive anything.

DEDICATE/COMMENT

She Works Hard for the Money - Donna Summer

View the LYRICS to this song.

I felt this was an appropriate song for a Monday. Watching old videos are always enjoyable for so many reasons.

A few comments/observations:
*I was very annoyed by the woman's reaction to the guy smacking her rear in the restaurant. If it were me he would have been smacked right back.
*I don't know about you, but I would be a bit creeped out if I looked out of my kitchen window and saw Donna Summer standing there staring and singing to me with no expression on her face.
*For a split second her daughter looks like the indestructible cheerleader from the show Heroes.
*The dance sequence in the street reminds me of another video....hmmm....make it night time, turn the dancing workers into zombies, add a few shimmies and hand-clapping over the head, slip a sequined glove on the woman's hand, and it's Thriller!

I dedicate this to all you hard working women!....sorry men, today's not your day.

DEDICATE/COMMENT

Don't Mess With My Man - Nivea

View the LYRICS to this song.

This song was requested by a reader. Apparently someone needs to be told to back off. It is one thing to pursue someone when you do not know they are in a relationship. People who are fully aware that the person they are pursuing is happy and in a good relationship, yet still persist, are incredibly disrespectful and pathetic - especially the ones who are just looking for a hook up. There is one person I would love to dedicate this too, but I will keep it to myself. Let's just say, Miller time was over a long time ago.

DEDICATE/COMMENT

Who Knew - Pink

View the LYRICS to this song.

Today is an example of how a song can be interpreted differently depending on the person. The music video usually shows how the artist (or director) sees it, but it can be slightly different for you. In the video, this song is about the ending of a relationship that was supposed to last forever. When I heard the song I interpreted it differently. I found it to be about losing someone unexpectedly to death. Recently in my town, five girls who had just graduated from high school were killed in a car accident. It is one of those things that shocks and saddens everyone in the area, not just those who knew the victims. I am a fairly recent alum of Virginia Tech so I was also affected by the tragedy that occured there just a couple months ago. It is always hard losing someone to death, but I have heard many times that there is nothing worse than losing a child. I dedicate this to anyone who has lost someone to an unexpected tragedy, especially parents who have lost children.

DEDICATE/COMMENT

Hey Jude - the Beatles

View the LYRICS to this song.

This is one of my favorite songs of all time. It reminds us that if you think you've found that one, go get him/her and don't let them go. If you play it cool, you're only hurting yourself in the long run. I usually don't include the lyrics in my posts because I provide a link to them, but I love this song so much I put a few of my favorite verses below:

Hey jude, dont make it bad.
Take a sad song and make it better.
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better.
...
And anytime you feel the pain, hey jude, refrain,
Dont carry the world upon your shoulders.
For well you know that its a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder.

Hey jude, dont let me down.
You have found her, now go and get her.
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better.

I dedicate this to anyone who knows who they want, but hasn't worked up the guts to tell them yet. The question becomes, if that person is already with someone else, do you say something?

DEDICATE/COMMENT

Ben Jelen - Come On

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This song didn't become as big of a hit as it should have. Unlike the Beatles song, this guy is telling the girl that they belong together. I dedicate this to anyone who realizes who they want to be with and has the guts to tell him or her. I certainly wouldn't be able to.

DEDICATE/COMMENT

Right Now - Van Halen

View the LYRICS to this song.

Modern technology has enabled us to stay connected to the world in increasingly innovative ways, yet at the same time we are becoming more disconnected from each other. This video is a fairly old one, but it is still relevant today. It reminds us of what is going on right now in our world whether we realize it or not. We often lose sight of the world outside of our own bubbles. People on cell phones are a great example. You could have missed out on meeting a great person right beside you on the subway because you were too busy in your own little world. I dedicate song this to those who try to pop their own bubble and become more aware of the world around them.

DEDICATE/COMMENT