Month: April 2009

I just discovered Deutscher Rap, from Bo Flower. Enjoy:)

As much as I disliked the song, this little video managed to raise my interest. There is a little The Exorcist 2 touch…looks like an introduction to a scary movie. Thumbs up on that one!

Unlike the author of this MTV article, I am not expecting that much from Relapse. I need to listen to the album first, so I do reserve my judgment for the moment ( not really excited to tell the truth- but I might be wrong). Wait and see.
Read the original article here.
Judging from Eminem’s Relapse track list, which leaked online Tuesday (April 28), the May 19 album is going to be another wild ride.
The character Ken Kaniff is returning, as are a handful of other skits. There’s no title track, but there are a couple of song names that might allude to the album’s title, such as “Must Be the Ganja” and “Déjà Vu.” The track list originally leaked on the blog 2DopeBoyz.OkayPlayer.com and was later confirmed at RapRadar.com, in which Em’s manager Paul Rosenberg has a stake.
Before the album drops, at least five tracks will be available on iTunes. “Crack a Bottle,” “We Made You” and “3 A.M.” are already available for download; on May 5, “Old Time’s Sake” (featuring Dr. Dre) will hit iTunes, and “Beautiful” will go on sale May 12.
Eminem, who is currently on the cover of XXL magazine, continues his publication rounds next month, when he lands on the front of Vibe.
Track list for Eminem’s Relapse, according to RapRadar.com:
1. “Dr. West” (skit)
2. “3 A.M.”
3. “My Mom”
4. “Insane”
5. “Bagpipes From Baghdad”
6. “Hello”
7. “Tonya” (skit)
8. “Same Song & Dance”
9. “We Made You”
10. “Medicine Ball”
11. “Paul” (skit)
12. “Stay Wide Awake”
13. “Old Time’s Sake” (featuring Dr. Dre)
14. “Must Be the Ganja”
15. “Mr. Mathers”
16. “Déjà Vu”
17. “Beautiful”
18. “Crack a Bottle” (featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent)
19. “Steve Berman” (skit)
20. “Underground/ Ken Kaniff”

I just listened to Eminem’s brand new song, 3 AM.
I did not even bother to download it. While I’d be less critical towards the song’s lyrics, I must say that I really HATE Eminem’s voice on that one.
What happened to his sharp, angry voice? Looks like the artist totally lost his edge. Sorry, but he raps like a girl in this song. His voice is so truncated, artificial. I don’t know what to say, besides the fact that I am horribly disappointed:(
Ok, it is not as awful as We Made You ( in which Em also has a stupid accent, I just can’t figure out why), but it is still horrible, though:(
Honestly, I don’t expect much from Relapse.
Let me know what you think.
Isabelle

I am angry against the British media. I am angry about all the fascination with celebrities. But, moreover, I can’t stand all the fabricated sob stories about Big Brother fabricated “star” Jade Goody. Now people are talking about deceased Jade as if she was an ‘extraordinary person’, a ‘saint’, a remarkable mom, etc. Some people even want to create a ‘ Jade Goody musical’.
Frankly does Jade Goody deserve all that? I don’t think so.
I do think that she was a poorly educated young woman and a pretty much annoying too. She really got into the media’s spotlight when she started bullying her Big Brother rival Shilpa Shetty. This was a pretty shameful episode in which she made racist remarks about Shilpa and her folks. It offended a lot of people in India. It nearly went to a diplomatic incident. Should we applaud Jade Goody for her lack of intelligence and diplomacy? Certainly not.
Of course, it is sad she died from cancer. Cancer is an horrible illness and I don’t wish it to anybody. But was Jade Goody the only cancer sufferer in the world? She was lucky to get all the medication she needed.
It is also sad she left two orphans. But her kids won’t lack anything for their future upbringing. Have you ever thought of the numerous kids living without their mom, because of the same illness, but whose remaining parent or grandma struggle financially to raise them?
Being “famous” doesn’t make a person interesting. Paris Hilton might be famous ( thanks to her parents’ fortune, by the way), but she is probably one of the most annoying women in the world-at least in my opinion.
I wish the media stopped putting people who don’t deserve it on a pedestal. Jade Goody hasn’t written anything, nor has she made any music or created anything else worth our interest.
So why keep talking about her?
Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

I recently had the chance to present you an exclusive, unreleased song from NBG Records, entirely dedicated to Deshaun Holton’s memory. Now, after being able to listen to the song, you’ll be able to watch the video to Living Proof.
The video features Marvwon, of the Detroit Fat Killaz. Enjoy:)
Isabelle

Maybe it is about time to reveal how the horrible machine of the music industry works. Stop dreaming: all they want is your money. They are ready to walk on the dead for HUGE amounts of money. They do not care about their artists nor do they care about the public- as long as the money keeps flooding in massively.
You might ask: how does she know? What is she talking about?
I have met some artists a few years ago and I also had enough time to observe backstage people’s behavior. I have been an enthusiastic Eminem fan and a fan of other hip hop artists too. Through the years, I had time to observe, analyze and be critical. As a music journalist, I’ve seen the evolution of many artists, from their underground beginnings to their inking with a label, sometimes a major label.
While a lot of artists begin with a good level of skills, some are blessed with a charisma and a good personnality. Believe it or not, the music industry is going to swallow it like a big monster and screw it all up, in order to mass produce its “product”( the artist).
So all of you who respect an artist accordingly to his record sales or to his place in the charts, think twice. These are just the result of the music industry’s constant pushing.
Once the music industry has signed an artist, only a few things matter:
– a marketable face so the groupies can keep buying the product. No matter what you might think, the music industry desperately needs groupies. So does the artist. Groupies keep the finances always up.
If the artist is married or engaged, the music industry will try to keep it hidden from the public as long as possible. Otherwise, it will expose the couple’s trouble and, thus, encourage the wife’s bashers to buy the artist’s CD’s massively.
-big labels, no matter what the artist’s previous intentions were, will transform the artist in order to please the MAINSTREAM public, the kind of public that usually loves low quality crap. The artist will be shaped into his label’s will, forced to do what the label wants him to do.
– touring is what brings loads of money in…that’s why the labels will organise very busy schedules for the artist to follow, no matter if it is detrimental to his health…groupies are, of course, very welcome to attend, as they are the main poster, T shirts and clothing line buyers.
-music critics aren’t that much needed by the music industry, as they could happen to be critical towards the artist. They can, however, be useful to promote an artist.
-from the day the artist is signed, his image will be exploited, even after his death.
So am I bitter about all this? No, but my eyes are open.
Beware!
Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Dear readers,
Those of you who know me well also know that I never shied away from expressing my very honest opinion about an artist and his music. I have been a MASSIVE Eminem fan for years now, but I am starting to lose interest in his music with the current bunch of crap he is releasing.
I don’t think his video is funny. I don’t find it creative at all. I find it weak and ridiculous. Marshall Mathers is starting to resemble the pop stars he was making fun of in the beginning. To me he is now no better than Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears of whoever else…this isn’t rap, it is, mainstream pop music that pleases the masses. I am definitely not into that kind of crap, because I hate it, no matter who creates it, even if it is Eminem.
My opinion is, that if Eminem goes on like this, constantly dumbing down his music, he will only attract a 10-11years old audience and lose his REAL fan base, the people who happened to enjoy his lyricism and creativity.
Ok…no worries…I am still into hip hop…but I definitely want it to be of good quality!
You might not agree with me…you might hate me for what I wrote…but there is one thing you cannot change…this IS my opinion and I am entitled to it.
I am a music journalist, a writer, not a groupie. And I will tell things the way they are.
Isabelle

Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

I have been quite busy, but I haven’t forgotten that yesterday was RIP Big Proof’s third death anniversary. Sad anniversary, maybe, but also a celebration of all Big Proof stood for: his hometown, Detroit, Detroit underground hip hop and being true to oneself:)
So let’s not be sad, but rather celebrate the musical heritage Proof left us all:)
RIP Big Proof.
Isabelle