I've Moved! Clap For Her

Or, maybe not, if you're loyal to Blogger...

(weirdo.)

As many things have happened in my life - from new chapters beginning to old chapters ending - I have to adjust, and sadly that means something near and dear is left behind too. I put some serious thought into shutting down this blog and decided to not completely shut it down.

However, it has been paused - more like  the initial stop of a DVD, where folks still have the option to resume or hit stop again to completely end the run. Bubble Gum Pop Rap may return on Blogger but it has moved to Tumblr for the purpose of the site's efficiency, and well - with a full-time, part-time and now back to freelancing - I'm a lazy SOB. Eff yall.

I will miss the pocket change from advertising though!

Signed,



Mgmt*
*that means management, not MGMT the band

Saul Williams Speaks to Soul Train

One of the biggest things to happen to me this year was getting to interview one of the most brilliant minds of our time, Saul Williams. He had a show one night, and I pestered his publicist enough to chat with him earlier that day. The insight he gave was amazing!

The first thing I wanted to talk about was Don Cornelius's sudden passing. I still tremble at how he did it, and Saul seemed to feel the same way. I also noticed in the VH1 special on Soul Train how he was frustrated with the change in the music scene that Cornelius was a guy who liked everything to be the way it always is and life is easiest when things are concrete. Saul touches on ageism when I ask him about Don Cornelius, and while he's right, I feel like Cornelius had much deeper problems than just his age. I hope more is reported on Cornelius and he's not just a historic man we now place RIP in front of. Here's where Saul and I discuss the man of Soul Train:

Soul Train: What was your initial reaction to hearing about Don Cornelius’s passing? 

Saul Williams: It’s the way that he passed that was shocking. For one, it’s not something that is known to be prevalent in our community. And I can only imagine what it’s like to grow older and lose strength, and become frustrated with the times where things aren’t the way they were – that type of ageism that happens often in our country. I think it becomes really hard for old people who are frustrated with how things start to not work for them. It also brings you back to healthcare issues and how we need to get it straight to where everyone is treated fairly, and the people are taken care of, especially psychologically.

When I asked him about how he feels about the music biz now, he gave me quite an earful about how stuck we've become on the concept of celebrity. I always peeped that in how we direct one another's status to Twitter followers, Facebook friends, as well as our circle. Big city Atlanta is notorious for that! The socialite scene can be more about your following than what you actually do. Even beyond that scene - my niece said to me after I asked her what she wants to do when she grows up "I wanna be famous. I don't know what yet, but I'm gonna be famous." I gave the spiel on having and fulfilling a purpose but what 12-year-old wants to hear that? Anyway, off the soapbox I go. Here's an excerpt of what Saul had to say about that topic:

ST: So what about music now, especially in terms of urban alternative music? 

SW: I think we’re at a time now where I look at anyone from Odd Future to Lil’ Wayne to Kanye and Jay-Z, and for the most part people have become more open to new music. But America at-large has established an idea of celebrity. We need to find a way to give the rightful attention to real talent, to people who are exploring. Right now we’re running the risk of having a very formulaic approach to music, to sound, to popularity...

 Check out the rest of the interview over on Soul Train's website!!!

Going Mobile...

Well this isn't weird at all, is it?

The internet has went out (bad router), so the blog is now in the hands of an Android-powered device and Blogger app. This is a test to see how the posts are laid out via mobile blogging.

By the way, that's a picture of my scooter. Ain't he purrty?!

The show has to go on, ya know?

The Amazon Cloud, A First of Its Kind

Before I begin typing up praises for this new venture, let me say that although I am an Amazon Associate this blog post is NOT being forced by Amazon. Now, unto my blog post...

Now, if you are a loyal Amazon shopper for music then this will come as the best news since they started selling digital music. If you are a loyal Amazon shopper for music with a small hard drive or a nearly-full hard drive then this will come as the best news since you found out about the internet. According to their website, Amazon has become the first music store to have a cloud drive and player for the digital music you purchase!

This is big for several reasons. The best and most obvious benefit of the cloud drive and player is that it takes up NO space on your computer, not even an app or software to install it. Everything (I repeat, everything!) is stored in their datacenters and all you need is a URL (plus your Amazon username and password for purchasing purposes) to access it. Another reason why this is beneficial is because the enjoyment doesn't end at your computer: with an Android-supported system, you can have full access to your music collection to-go on your phone or tablet.

An iType of SIDENOTE: Amazon has not officially made this supportive for Apple/iOS products. However, there is a way that Apple lovers can enjoy this too. According to GeekWord, users must download iCab Mobile on their iPod/Phone/Pad. In the browser, change the Browser ID to Safari 5 (Mac), convincing the cloud that it's not Mobile Safari, and you're in there like swimwear! For more in-depth info, check out the Amazon workaround guide on Mashable and cut to "Alternative Two: iCab to the Rescue." Sorry webOS, nothing's available!

To kick things off on the right foot, Amazon is giving away five FREE gigabytes of storage on the cloud drive, so get started now!

Oh, and once you open your cloud drive be sure to purchase music from my Amazon aStore! It's been updated with the latest and greatest music available on Amazon.

Dear Spotify, Bring Your Arse To The States!!!

Since Imeem, among other music streaming sites, are no longer running, I've been on the hunt for the new place to extend my taste in music. I'm not a big iPerson, so suggesting iTunes, an iPad/Phone, or any other iNut-riding software or Internet tool won't work.

There are a couple dope sites and such to check out with that Imeem feel.

8tracks is one I use frequently because it has a creative gimmick to its purpose: come up with at least eight songs for a playlist. The playlist has to have some sort of title or theme to it (even if it is Brian Lehrer's Cooking Mix or Randy Moss' Post Pattern), and I have the freedom of uploading songs from my music collection or adding music other people uploaded to 8tracks. If I stick to just eight songs, it's like having an 8-track on your computer, minus the protruding cartridge.

Another site I like for music sharing and streaming is [INSERT DRUM ROLL]

*adds extra line for dramatic effect*

MySpace! Believe it or not, and amidst the crappy press it got for being Creepsterland, this site is great for sharing music for artists and listeners. It's easy to create playlists, add music, and with the new layout (which Facebook is trying to mimic btw) is easy for folks to share. Although Bandcamp and SoundCloud are good sites for artists to use to socialize with their fans as well as add music, MySpace is just as good. Plus, almost every band uses it, so to the folks I know that snub MySpace on the regular need to fall back, as journalist and bloggers quickly search "[insert artist or band] MySpace music" before anything else.

But back to the topic at-hand.

Spotify is another music sharing and streaming site that has the online and offline option. It's like iTunes, minus Apple's "i" and tunes, Pandora, LastFM, and Imeem, wrapped in one green bow. You can upload your own music, listen to others, make playlists, buy music, play the artist radio, go mobile, tweet it, Facebook it, among other things. Oh, and IT'S FREE! Sounds too good to be true, right?

Well, for those in the US of A, it does. Clicking on the "Get Spotify" icon will lead you to this. That's right, a shrugging heifer and information about how they want to have ALL music available on the site for ALL countries or nothing at all.

The researcher and journalist in me went digging for more info on Spotify, finding out that it's a wrangling with Warner's music label. According to TechCrunch back in the summer, despite the app availability on Symbian, Droid and iPhone (and now Windows 7 Phone) Warner does not want Spotify to air out their artists' music for free.

Sounds familiar? It should. Warner and YouTube had the same issue because Warner didn't want YouTube posting their artists videos for free. The difference between the two scenarios is that YouTube had balls, and pulled all of Warner's artists off their site and moved on! And of course, because no label wants to be excluded from press, Warner came running back to make a deal with YouTube.

Now why Spotify won't grow some is beyond me. There is no reason (other than money, and if that's the case then forget coming here) Spotify is not able to do the same for their site as YouTube and generate States users. This software has already won tech awards for their services and has 30,000 of America's musical elite using their site (including Pitchfork, which brought me to Spotify in the first place), so why is it not available for the PEOPLE???

So Spotify, bring your arse to the States! We've suffered without you for long enough. We want the same luxuries as France, Spain and Sweden too! We have even shown you love for the 30,000 people you serve already, why not multiply that by a milli or two?

I hope these questions don't go unanswered, and you find your way out of other people's iPhones and into my laptop soon.

Signed,

Me.

Photos: 2010 Soul Train Purple Carpet and Award Show

I got the privilege to cover the 2010 Soul Train Awards for the website I intern with that I've mentioned several times throughout this blog.... Oh, you know! The Electronic Urban Report, EURweb.com?!?!?! Yeah, you better...

Anywho, I was among the massive amounts of media outlets flagging down as many celebs as I can for interviews and clear photo opps. These are some of the photos I took while interviewing some folks.

Check Out My Examiner Page!!!

Let's see....

I am an intern with EURweb, writing for AOL City's Best (among other AOL sites), and the new editor of SlapStik Magazine (wooo!!!).

Now I add yet another writing job on my plate: Little Five Points Music Examiner.

After some complications with my site, it is up and running so you must check it out!!!

Just to be upfront with you, the more views I get, the more cash I get, so when all you who enjoy my blog should take your happy selfs over to my examiner page.

My writing skills + ATL's best neighborhood + you lovely viewers = a win for everyone!

Some Personal/Professional Updates...

I've been making a lot of cool moves this past week!

1) I am working for Lee Bailey (famous announcer dude from RadioScope... you know? The guy with the sick, sick announcer voice) as the web intern for his website Electronic Urban Report (EUR) Network.

Check out the site at eurweb.com

2) I am an Examiner! Yeah, although the many classified ad postings on Monster, HotJobs, and CareerBuilder (or any other job posting site) looks extremely shady, it's not that bad of a place to work for! Not to mention it is a "paying" job, so I'm not mad at all.

Anywho, I cover the Little Five Points music scene. In other words, I cover everything music-wise that goes on in the bars, coffeehouse, and other wicked places in the awesome Little Five Points area in Atlanta.

If you live in the ATL (or around it), check out my site to get all the happenings in Little Five Points, one of the most diverse and coolest areas in all of Atlanta!

The more readers I get, the more money I get, so please check out my Examiner page!

Read here!

I also got some other updates, but I'll save them for the right time...

No Blog Stuff This Week!

Sorry folks!

Along with writing stuff for this blog, I also am working with several different magazines not to mention submitting research articles for my field of studies back at OU. This week was pretty hectic, so I couldn't find the time to blog - SORRY!

Since I love you all so much, I will have enough tasty music-related morsels to make you forget about my lacking of this week, from a Lil' B piece to a poem about guitars.

So be ready, because I'll be back before you know it! Until then, please read my other articles and don't forget to check out my mini-me, my Tumblr! Oh, and follow me on twitter too! I'm always yapping with those two about something :)

Peace.

Last Week on Tumblr...

For those that may not know, this blog has a sidekick!

When I'm not posting reviews, commentaries, and such, I am posting small music tidbits on Tumblr, titled Bubble Gum Pop Rap Lite. Almost anything has been posted on this site, from neat music articles to singles from great artists. Every week I'll give you a taste of what I've come across on the radio, in the news, and online. Enjoy!


Posted July 31st: I rant about switching lives with people who run clubs, mainly because I stood outside a club for an hour just to see an art exhibit that night. The art was great, and was actually worth standing in 90+ degree weather, but sheesh! (yeah, still mad)


Posted July 30th: found Rah Digga's album cover for her latest project Classic, Uffie's thoughts on fellow "hip-hopper" and swagger-jacker Ke$ha, and news on the record store documentary I Need That Record! being released to major DVD sellers including Netflix.


Posted July 29th: I put my MP3 player on shuffle and comment on the first 10 songs that come up. Plus, the new video for Chromeo's "Don't Turn The Lights On" and some tunes to back up my Black rocker rant, The Five One's "DC Sleeps."


Posted July 28th: One of my favorite chill records Zero 7 "In The Waiting Line" and Zach Galifianakis (omg, I spelled his name right again) does a remake to Anita Baker classic "You Bring Me Joy".


Posted July 27th: Psychologists finally catch up with the mind of musicians and write this "wonderful discovery" on the Rock 'n' Roll lifestyle. I dubbed it Rock 'n' Roll Psychology 101 - class is in session. I guess. Also a very cinematic video to The Roots "The Fire" off their new album How I Got Over.


Posted July 26th: After reading an article from the New York Times, I find this music video by one of the sissy bounce artists, Sissy Nobby called "Beat It Out The Frame", and yes, it goes there!

Poem: Ode to A Record Store (A Haiku)

DISCLAIMER: This may be pretty random, as I am working on my poetry skills, but this poem is dedicated to my love for record stores:

Ode to A Record Store

Non-digital realm

timeless, yet, dying you are

you treasure my love

Major Updates

*Blow dust off the blog* What up!

Well, it's been forever since I've touched this blog (last post was April 23rd to be exact), all in an effort to finish my studies at Ohio University (go me)!!!!

Since graduation (a whole five days), I have managed to snag a couple writing gigs with some awesome people as well as wait on a decision concerning a magazine internship in the Fall. I have a crazy summer lying ahead of me, and I'm ready to take it on!

So this blog is going to be under construction for the next couple of weeks being that I'm a big girl now. In the mean time, follow me on Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook if anything happens to this blog so you get the lowdown!

I'm out, for now.


UPDATE #1: Do you see how I changed the design of the blog?? Cool, isn't it?? Haha, I had to do it. It reflects my inner child and personality (things I refuse to let go). The name change was definitely because I'm tired of being "against the world" (and got bored).

I'm pretty much blogging through the Tumblr for now until I get all my cool ideas together to blog about. So far I got a couple albums to review, more commentary on the latest music news, and other updates about me!

Be ready....

The Ursula Rucker Experience at the B.E.A.T.S. Hiphop Expo (A Video)

Being a part of organizing the 2nd annual hiphop expo for B.E.A.T.S (Building Education through the Arts and Transforming Society) this past weekend was a complete and total honor. Last year's expo on hiphop and sustainability was great, especially hearing Majora Carter speak and seeing Invincible perform. This year's expo surrounded women in hiphop. The theme was called When and Where I Enter: Women Beyond Gender Talk, and it featured an amazing keynote from Michaela Angela Davis along with a beautiful performance from Ursula Rucker. Although the expo was streamed live, which I hope will be archived somewhere, I taped Ursula doing her thing with my own little equipment. Not that I'm trying to start up my own little video production for this blog (like it's that serious), but I really wanted you all to get some footage of the experience I had at this year's expo. This video is her performing "The Awakening" off of 4Hero's Play with the Changes, one of my favorite albums by one of my favorite production groups, at OU's Grover Center.



When I talked to her during her poetry workshop, she was so chill with everything. One thing that stuck out to me during that session, something I should have always recognized when differentiating spoken word from music, was what she said about why whenever she speak she purposely separates poetry and music. She said although there are poetic origins in the lyricism of songs, poetry and music is like painting and photography.

So I thought about it for the rest of that day, and what she says is true. Poetry and music, as similar as they may be, are two different art forms. Poetry is aligned with painting in this sense: with painting, an artist gets the canvas AND the drawing tools in grasp for expression. The thought essentially is organic, just like in poetry. In photography, an artist may get a canvas, but it is a canvas with ideas and thoughts on them with little to no room for any outside or other thoughts. An artist's thought is primarily laid out in the presentation of that pre-made canvas. Does that mean it isn't an organic art form? I think so. Because with painting an artist is limitless with the way an artist wants to present the idea - from what colors used to the style of the stroke to where the finished piece will be on display. Although photography has many different techniques people can use, photography is not organic because an artist is limited by what is already there, i.e. the landscape or portrait being shot.

This was just one of the many things I got out of the hiphop expo last weekend. It is important to know that lyrics do not always need a beat to live. In fact, lyrics can sometime stand on its own.

So, I've Been Trying New Things....

Aside from writing awesome reviews, interviews, blogs, and other stuff for ACRN, I recently became apart of the video staff. I help in just about any way possible filming video for a new section out of acrn.com called Guest List, where we (the staff crew) shoot as bands put on an exclusive performance just for us (the music lovers)!

Below is the finished product of the first Guest List I did. I was the boom operator (first time, and mastered it.. somewhat LOL). Not to toot my own horn, but I've never done anything video-wise, and being a boom operator was a lot of work!

*In all seriousness, all I did was hold the microphone and made sure it wasn't in sight of the camera's view.*

But, I also got to meet some cool people, artists who I wouldn't give a chance at first sight, but put out very good music.

So I want to show you ACRN's Guest List: Skeletonwitch (for more photos, background info on the band, and such, click here)!


Guest List Episode 5: Skeletonwitch from ACRN.com on Vimeo.

**From Slapstik** I'm on Page 20!!!

Wow, it's been over a month since I've been on here. Well, first off, happy new year's/decade!!!

But I know you missed me. So quit your sobbing, I'm back!

And I come bearing gifts:

Below is the first issue of Slapstik Magazine, a magazine I contributed work to frequently over the summer. This is an urban humor magazine, hella funny people work here, so I step a little out of my usual forte of music to do what some call "expanding horizons", but what I call "something different". I'm on page 20, but feel free to browse throughout the mag, and once the hard copies are out, especially those in the Columbus, Ohio area, I'll definitely let you know!



What a way to start off 2010!

Cell Therapy 029

So last night, as I typed in imeem.com as an attempt to listen to my Josh Groban playlist, I get redirected to the MySpace Music page. WTF IS UP WITH THAT?????

I begin perusing the MySpace site, along with failed but blind attempts at visiting the Imeem site (not to mention both of their Twitter pages), and found out through their Twitters that MySpace has acquired Imeem, and no one can use Imeem's stuff, including their embedded playlists, videos, songs, etc.

Like OMG!

So I gathered these thoughts and new information in my head and came to the ultimate urban conclusion that Imeem sold the F*** out of the online music community to the ultimate creep-infested MySpace!

Imeem sold out. Imeem just up and left its users - no email, press release, no warning, no nothing - like a dead beat. There were no news of negotiations even, just nothing!

We few, we happy few who looked past the 30-second previews and five-second ad interruptions Imeem gave us are now disappointed as we can't accept this change of scenery. The ease of embedding music onto our blogs, Facebook, MySpace calmed our nerves because people knew those songs and videos and playlists were awesome (not to mention it made the user look hella smart and tech savvy)! We enjoyed listening to a playlist full of all the music our favorite artists made. We loved singing along to songs with the lyrics someone posted in the comment section of the song's page. And we were always flattered to know whenever someone favorited our playlists.

So yes, I am an angry user of Imeem's online media service. Imeem and MySpace claim everything will be back to normal once Imeem transfers everything to MySpace...

THERE IS NOTHING NORMAL ABOUT MYSPACE!!!

As I make attempts at redo-ing my embedded music on this very blog, let alone other sites I used Imeem's services on, I cry. Not only because it's a lot of crap I put on this and other sites, but because the every song and playlist I remove tears out a piece of my music-loving soul.

*sniff sniff*

R.I.P. Imeem 2003-2009 (although MySpace ultimately killed you, you killed yourself by selling out)

Cell Therapy 028

Writing about something you personally don't like takes a lot out of you! I definitely had to step outside of myself to make this piece work.

Cell Therapy 027

I love my mp3 player! It seems to know when it rains, and itll play the smoothest music that makes me forget i have to walk in the rain :-)

from ACRN: An Exploration of Love Through the Wizard of Poetry

As I listened to Ghostface Killah’s latest album Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City, I noticed he took a whole new approach to the rap game. Some would think he went all soft and lovey-dovey. Some would think he is trying to expand his craft from just talking about the drug game. Some would think he is doing what he does best -- exposing the world to the life he knows.

What kind of life is that? Obviously, if you listen to his album, he is diving into the field of love in the hip-hop community, an area often forgotten thanks to the violent and homophobic images portrayed by the music industry. With such popular hip-hop songs like Gucci Mane's “Wasted” and popular hip-hop groups with names resembling the slaughtering of animals/emcees (i.e. Slaughterhouse), one couldn’t help but ask: Where’s the love in hip-hop music? The moment we ask that question, we come to Ghostdini.

I believe Ghostface’s purpose with the album, and most agree, is to exalt the old school love in the Black community, especially the kind of love that was sung about in the '60s and '70s. His album pays homage to old school R&B from the “thick and thin, 'til death do us couples part” lyrical content, to the samples used, much of which came from the prominent R&B figures from the 1970s. If you listen to the samples used, you hear such titles as “You Can’t Stop My Love” by Norman Feels (in “Do Over”), “Stay A Little Longer” by Yvonne Fair (in “Stay”), “We Will Always Be Together” by the Whatnauts (in “Forever”) and more.

When I heard the album in its entirety, all I could think of was my family. I thought of my parents, who were together for about 30 years until my father passed away, and my grandmother and her “friend” who lived together as long as I can remember but never married because of the respect they had for my grandfather. Not to forget the complications my folks faced while together –- from money problems to trust issues –- reminded me that love was always something people can’t stray from, as much as they may try. And with Ghostface’s album, he brings love back into hip-hop, as much as the community tries to stray away. And the hip-hop community in Athens cannot help but agree.

[...]

For more click here!

Check Out My Blogs on the Side... Bar

Long time no see...

So after midterms and working the entire Halloween weekend (and folks, Halloween at OU is no joke!), I still find it rather difficult to post things on this lovely blog.

*Cue the boos and awws*

But since I love the World so much, I did put the other blogs and works that I am in charge of on this page as an RSS feed, so if you need a fix of my writings check out the sidebars of this site to see the content I've provided to these other sites. And I'll also post published things from non-blogs on here too.

And the links are in the post below (in case you can't see the feed on the side)

So see, it ain't that bad! :-P

I do guarantee some nice and healthy content for this blog over winter break!