Another year, another time to kvetch over the Grammy Award nominations, right? It may be music’s biggest night, but it’s hard to find a Grammy Awards that’s not fraught with controversy and/or boring as hell. The nomination process always results in head scratching decisions, and this year’s are no different. Katy Perry nominated for Album of the Year? Weird. Lady GaGa’s “Bad Romance” scratched off of the Record of the Year nominees? Uber-weird. No Lil Wayne nominations? Big Boi passed […]
Posts tagged "Nicki Minaj"
The Viewfinder: “Moment 4 Life” by Nicki Minaj
Never let it be said that I don’t have an open mind. Even when artists start off on a bad foot with me, I allow plenty of room for my opinion to be changed. This has now happened twice with Lil Wayne’s Young Money artists. First, there was Drake. I thought he was incredibly overhyped-until I heard Thank Me Later and enjoyed it immensely (hell, my opinion of it has actually improved over the past few months). Next up to […]
Blerd Briefs 1/4/11: R.E.M., Lil Kim & Lady GaGa
In the news today: Gaga’s new album, the Nicki/Kim beef, and songs from R.E.M.’s upcoming album.
The Viewfinder: Kanye West’s “Monster”
Have a ghoulishly good time with Kanye West’s “Monster” video.
Chart Stalker!: Billboard Year-End Version
Welcome to the first of two year end editions of Chart Stalker! Why two, you ask? Simple answer-Billboard’s year-end issue comes out before the end of the actual calendar year (to allow for publication time and ad purchasing). Generally speaking, it covers the year from December 1st of the previous year to November 30th of the current year, or thereabouts. Additionally, Billboard calculates it’s rankings by using a formula based on chart position, so where an artist ends up on […]
Chart Stalker 12/2/10: Yay ‘Ye!!
award shows / Country Music / hip-hop / music / New Releases / news / Pop Music / rock music / soul music
A look at this week’s Billboard 200 album chart. Kanye West debuts at #1, while Nicki Minaj scores the best sales week for a female rapper ever.
New Release Report 11/22/10: Well, Hello Kanye
hip-hop / music / New Release Report / New Releases / news / Pop Music / reissues / rock music / soul music
The week before Thanksgiving is typically the week that record companies bring out their big guns. There will be quite a few major records battling for chart supremacy this week, and most of them will have a 24-hour jump on the average music release, since many of the albums are being made available for sale on Monday instead of Tuesday. Here’s what you should be looking for: Kanye West “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”– Kanye’s fifth album has been met […]
2010 American Music Awards: Live Blog
The American Music Awards may have fallen to third place on the importance list behind the Grammy Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards, but it’s still a pretty important show where it counts…at the cash register. It’s pretty well-watched, and lots of people that see performances or award winners end up going to their local store (or to iTunes) and picking up a single or album by someone they caught on the show. The AMAs began in 1974 as […]
“Check it Out”: Or Don’t, If You Know What’s Good for You
I could very easily turn this into yet another post bashing will.i.am, who’s pretty much my favorite whipping boy. “Check it Out” is yet another blemish on an excessively long list of blemishes. Despite a reasonably intriguing visual, the sampling (of The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star”) is uncreative, his lyrics are completely meaningless, and there’s nothing that separates the song from the pack of unoriginal, Auto-Tuned, dance pop tracks that have crowded Top 40 radio for the past […]
A “Monster” of a Track: Delivered by Kanye & Co.
I must admit to being somewhat preoccupied the last week or so with personal pursuits, so I may have been a little late to the party when it came to Kanye West and Jay-Z announcing a joint EP. Does this mean that the release date for Kanye’s own fifth album gets pushed back? Hope not. Considering Jay-Z’s horrid track record in regards to collaboration albums (two disgustingly bad albums with R. Kelly and one not terrible but pointless album with […]
Dear Ladies: Time to Make an Adjustment on the Slutometer
When did it become the norm for women in music to be trampy 24/7? Believe me, there is nothing wrong with owning one’s sexuality. But is the concept of being in charge of your sexuality synonymous with acting like a stripper in heat? Over the past decade or so, the role of the woman in pop music has gone from being occasionally titillating to basically playing the role of a ho. Misogynist? Not at all. Work with me here. Name […]