He's Beamin!!!

 




I have to pay homage to an amazing Hip Hop artist (MC) Lupe Fiasco for his latest mix-tape single "Im Beamin". That he is, with his Chi-City swagger and his eloquently clever lyrics that can inform and then inspire change within the hoods of any city especially Chicago. This record is so impressive that I had to give it The Schi~Stamp of Approval because artists like Lupe Fiasco deserve to be acknowledged.

OMG PLEEEEEEEASE!!!

I love Usher as much as the next person yet I cant help but be disappointed by his latest Pop song "OMG". I can say that I respect the whole Will-I-Am movement to a certain extent but this record doesn't sound at all like an Usher record. I am all for collaborations but I draw the line when these collabo's cause the artist to lose the sound that the are known for.

I would have respected this record a little more if Usher would have united his style with Will-I-Am's sound and then created a song that didn't over shadow the prominent Usher Raymond's Atlanta-made style.

Usher's "OMG" song is mediocre, the video is not that impressive, and the lyrical content doesn't move me very much either. There hasn't been to many times that Usher has disappointed me but if he wants to catch up to Trey Songz and Drake, he is going to come back a lot harder then this. Re-inventing and revamping your artst style is sometimes needed but that doesn't mean that you should lose the essence of who you are. Usher, I hope this was just a temporary setback and I hope that you will switch your focus to your other single "There Goes My Baby" which is a much hotter track.

I know that everyone will not agree with my view on the song but I made a vow to keep Trill and that what I am going to do...Let me know what you think.



Deuces,

Tha Schi 1



Usher feat. Will.I.Am - OMG
Video Codes at www.blastro.com

The New Schi ~State of Mind....

It has been a while since I commented through my blog but I wanted to let all my followers know that I have a new inspiration and focus about the direction of this site. You all can call me THE NEWEST EDITION TO THE HIP HOP AND R&B CRITICS OF AMERICA. I promise that I will rate the artists that we love, hate, and/or respect, while letting you know the honest truth about what I think about their music, videos, and lifestyle as I see it.

The Artists and/or Videos that I like I will receive a Schi - Stamp of Approval. But for all the the Artists/Videos that are released that I don't completely favor, then their Schi-Card will be revoked.

The Beginning of this Revolution will begin with diagnosing the truth about Usher's latest single "OMG"....Stay Tuned...You don't want to miss what I say about this record.

Garbage hits the Airwaves (Part 1)

Now I have to admit that I love urban music, especially R&B, Neo Soul, Hip Hop, & etc. Yet the one thing that I can not stand is this un-original, corny, perpetrating, sell out version of Rap Music today. What happen to the presence that Hip Hop had and where the hell did it go? Has materialistic possessions that have absolutely no value once they buy it, all that it's about any more? Misogenistic view points that poison the mind of all listeners whether they realize it or not, has completely taken over.

Rap Artists today (notice how I said Rapper's...lol) lack the creativity & originality to truly profits within the music industry. Most of them refuse to speak the truth and are completely content with a fake and phony outlook on the world and its issues. While they lack the imagination to create something new. I am fed up with this weak willed & misguided form of music, so now is the time to stop kissing these particular Artist's ass.

 If the media and music industry is to scared to put these lame artists straight then I will have set them straight. This will be the first edition, Garbage hits the Airwaves which is the Top 10 list of weakest songsin the Rap Game.

~ 10) Jay Z- Empire State of Mind ( I will admit I love the beat and most of the song but the verse were he says "Jesus cant save you, life starts when church ends" which completely turn me off about this song.)

~ 9) New Boyz- Tie Me Down ( These young guys have done the inevitable like Soulja boy and I commend them but the message that their sending to the younger generation doesn't impress me.)

~ 8) Omarion feat. Gucci Mane - I Get It In ( I have been known to like Omarion in the past, I like seeing him perform but what the hell was he thinking with this one. This record almost seemed desperate because he changed his sound and got one of the most popular RAPPER's in the game right now which further shows his desperation.)

~ 7)Snoop Dogg - Gangsta Luv ( I like Snoop & I like his song I Wanna Rock but this particular records is completely weak. He's been out of the game a while and should have come out with I Wanna Rock first and chose a better single thereafter.)

~ 6)Juelz Santana - Back to the Crib (I'm glad that he had was willing to Put Chris Brown on the record but the song is just not hot its missing something. Haven't figured what that is yet)

~ 5)Dj Khaled- Fed Up (Khalid a hot producer but this song just doesnt have the punch that it usually has...I gotta keep it real.)

~ 4)Nicki Minaj- Bedrock (Im trying to give her a chance because there aren't enough females in the game but as a new artist the best you can do is "Let me put my p***y on your side burn" Come hard or go home")

~ 3)Fabolous - (Other Than Everything, Everyday, Everywhere, he has nothing exciting to say & Keri Hilson saved him on this record.)

~ 2)Soulja Boy - (Everything he puts out is weak to me)

~ 1)Gucci Mane - Wasted (Really...this song has no substance and is so un-original)

For those who read this blog may not  agree with my opinion but these Artist are missing some vital points that helps me to decide whether they are Hip Hop Artist or Just Typical Rappers. Let me know what you think....

Final Decisions!!!!

Like alot of you out there, I am sick and tired of hearing about certain people in the industry that grabs all the attention. Well this time I am speaking about Chris Brown & Rihanna, for the last year there has been turmoil among these two young people that happened after the Grammy Awards last February.

More recently Rihanna spoke freely about her battered situation on 20/20 and tonight Chris Brown had a similar interview. I am not truly sure about the intentions of these interviews but I am proud of Rihanna for her honesty and openess about what happened that specific night. Chris Brown on the other hand refused to be open and tell the adequate story behind his anger towards Rihanna. I do believe he may be sorry but I think its for the wrong reasons. He wants to up hold his image, reconnect his relationship with his fans, and to possible re-obtain his sponserships.But I feel that he is a coward because he isn't willing tell the details of this incident which may help other young men who battle with the same kind of anger, and if he spoke more, he might prevent others from reaching that point or acknowledge that their pushed to their limit.

I am going to be honest and truthful about being a fan of Chris Brown & I purchased his first two CD's but I am having trouble deciding on whether I will continue listening to his music, let alone buying it. As for Rihanna, I have only liked a selected few of her songs which would be (If Its Loving That U Want, Take a Bow, Pon the Replay & Rehab... (Go Figure)). And with that said, I refuse to be phony and only buying her music because I feel sorry for her or him especially when I am not very inspired to buy their music based on the singles that they have out right now.

Now that you have read my view, whats your opinion????

Will you continue to support bot these artist or just one of them? or Was their interviews just a publicity stunt?. For those who do not have an opinion about these artist but like their music: Is their latest singles up to the standards that they were previously or have they flopped? Let me know what you think...

Ode to Black Music!!!! (Part #1)

While reflecting and watching the renewed "Soul Train Music Awards",  I am proud to see so many prominent & dominating musicians and artists alike show their amazing talents. Before this show aired, I had heared a rumor about two of the performers, Trey Songz & Toni Braxton and their connection that they had on stage.

This duo had a very nice performance but the media portrayed their as a overtly sexual but as I watched it tonite, I was expecting the worst. Even though there was mild flirtation...to me the kiss that was in their performance was still tasteful. It makes you wonder whether this was a ploy because the Trey has a CD out & Toni is also going to release an album and they used this situation to raise album sales? Or has their seductive flirtation caused her a damper in her marriage?

I'll let you decide whether this was a planned gimick for monetary gain or just a publicity stunt or was it just demeaning? Besides the kiss between Taraji & Terrance (The Host of The Show) was much more passionate (Understatment) .... LOL

Who's The Next...

Who's The Next... It's Melanie Fiona
       If you haven't guessed by now, I am a music fanatic...and I'm proud of it. I pride myself on having an great ear for music and talent in all aspects of the arts. I can recognize a surrounding light around certain individuals  that has that special something, that usually makes them amazing artists.
       My next prediction for R&B superstars would be Melanie Fiona. I also predict that within 2 years of now established music career, she will surpass songstress' like Amerie, Rihanna (Yes I said it) and even the amazing but now fading Alicia Keys. Melanie has an AMAZING voice, a sultry tone, and lyrics that every woman can relate too.Mark my words she will never be a one hit wonder because she already has two chart topping singles out right now "Give it to me Right" & " It Kills Me". Please keep an ear out for this amazing artist and support her debut album...The Bridge.


Check out here video now on YouTube.com ~ It Kills Me

Let me know what you think........

The Artist In Between....

To continue with the Music Business theme that I have previusly discussed, I want to take it a bit further with regards to the Artists specifically. With a struggling economy, how is possible for an artist to survive especially if they do not have a record deal from a major deal.

What is an Singer/Rapper/Musician to do take make a living in the business without the financial backing of a major publishing, distribution, and marketing deal? The Pro's & Cons of an Indie Label is that it has a lot less money at their disposal but an artist would have more artistic control over thier music Which would also give an Artist an opportunity to earn more points or credits from their album sales. Another benefit to being signed to an Indie Label is that they are willing to step outside of the box and allow their artist to be diverse but with major labels which is so money driven that they follow the gimicks to sell records.

There are artists that make a distinct impact in the music industry that at one point started out independently but sold well enough to grab the attention of the major labels. When we think of the artists in Hip Hop for example the started out indie, would be people like Drake, 50 Cent, Jay Z, T.I., & etc. These individuals created there own demographic, sold thousands of records from lite touring & selling albums out of the back of their cars. They had a hustle that made them in such a high demand that they were in a comfortable place where they set the rules on their percentages, signing bonuses, and they were being chased instead of chasing behind record exects.

The question is what is better, to have nation-wide distribution but artists receive pennies on the dollar for each album. Or selling your own records and pocket most of the revenue earned and have more freedom or control with a limited amount of resources?

What would you choose and Why?

The Downfall of the Music Industry: To Rip or Not to Rip

That is the most important question for all of us that either consume music & movies or all those who create this artistry. Has the process of downloading cause the demise of these multi - million dollar industries?

For those who openly admit that they freely download music or buy bootleg movies, has led an argument that:
* If all peer-to-peer downloading stopped, it would not increase CD sales.
* Believes that free and easy distribution of an artist’s work actually helps the artist.
* Pirating provides a marketing incentive because people listen or watch it first and then purchase it.
* As well as the belief that, while downloads occur on a vast scale, most users are likely individuals who would not have bought the album even in the absence of file-sharing.

Individuals that pirate music also believe that if the music industry would put out a better quality of work that consumers would want to buy & it increase the demand of the product. With new age technology comes the responsibility of keeping up with the times, or in other words don't become threatened by this (problem), instead create a solution by updating the way that you reach your customer base. If the music industry can not appeal to their demographic then, who is truly to blame for the decline in movie &/or record sales.

For the individuals, that truly view Piracy as theft usually believes:
* Music fans are only too thrilled at the prospect of getting music so cheap, especially with the quality and experience being almost the same as the music downloads found at legitimate music sites such as iTunes and others. They willingly enter into the black illegal world of piracy, where they are asked to use their credit cards to purchase music downloads.
* As well as they put those who put these projects together out of business. We're not talking about the multi-millionaires but the little guy who works hard for little to nothing just like everyone else.

Piracy is causing a moral dilemma among consumers, artists, and those who finance these projects. There may never be a balance for all the parties involved but all that matters is the beliefs of those who are reading this blog. What is your stance and do you truly stand behind your position?