jeudi 17 Aoû 2006, 3h34m

Yeah, I know it's a bit overdue. But since I'm awake and online, I figured now's the time to do it.

Justin Timberlake, "SexyBack" - Unless you've been living under a boulder for the past couple of weeks, you might not've heard this song. If not, you have no excuse. I've even heard it on the urban stations around here a couple of times.

Nelly Furtado, "Maneater" - I hope this song is the next US single off of Loose, because it's too hot not to. Timbaland and Nelly are a strange but cool combination. Kinda like chunky peanut butter and bananas.

Fergie, "London Bridge" - Another song that's crossed over onto urban radio. Think of it as "Hollaback Girl 2K6."

Lil Wayne, "Shooter" feat. Robin Thicke - I've only heard it all the way through once, but I instantly loved it. It has this cool soul/reggae vibe to it that works well with Robin's voice. I like Lil Wayne (who doesn't), but I honestly would like it better without him on it.

Lupe Fiasco, "I Gotcha" - From Lupe's rhyme to the Neptunes production, this is a more than acceptable second single to "Kick Push."

OutKast, "Morris Brown" - Well, it's more like Big Boi's "Morris Brown," but I digress. I'm from the South and come from a predominately Black area, so bands are a pretty big deal. So yeah, the first time I heard this song, it was like BOOM! instant hit. It's getting me even more excited for Outkast's film Idlewild, which if you didn't know comes out August 25th (the soundtrack, which I will defintely be buying comes out on the 22nd).

Wale, "1 Thing About A Playa" - Wale is an up and coming artist from the DC Metro area. So far, he's had two singles that have blown up on the radio, "Dig Dug" and "1 Thing About A Playa." Both songs infuse hip-hop and go-go (it's a regional thing), but I like "1 Thing" so much more than I like "Dig Dug." I mean, really, with a lyric like "Our flow's hard to pass like stones in your kidney," it has to be hot. Check out his myspace (where you can listen to the two songs I mentioned), and while you're at it, go download his mixtape at http://studio43group.com.

Eve, "Cash Flow" feat. T.I. - This song is hot mainly because of the beat. It's very minimal, like a lot of Swizz Beatz's stuff, but it works.

Gnarls Barkley, "Smiley Faces" - The next single off of St. Elsewhere (which if you didn't know, is a fantastic album). I love the old school feel.

Ciara, "Get Up" feat. Chamillionaire - This song is like "Loose Control Part II." Not that that's a bad thing.

Pharrell, "Baby" featuring Nelly - This is my appeal to Pharrell right now: MAKE THIS SONG THE NEXT SINGLE! (Well, this or "Keep It Playa", but mainly this one). This one is a throwback to vintage Prince (like, Purple Rain-era). It could do without Nelly's rap at the end, but whatev. Still hot. Still one you need to listen to.

Johnta Austin, "Turn It Up" - This song is like Bow Wow's "Let Me Hold You" meets Kanye West and Twista's "Slow Jams," except smoothed out on an R&B tip. If Jamie Foxx had more than just the hook, it would sound something like this. Johnta's voice is just smooth, kind of like Usher's, and a whole hell of a lot less annoying than Ne-Yo's and Chris Brown's. I'm looking forward to hearing more from him.

Busta Rhymes, "New York Shit" feat. Swizz Beatz - I'm not even FROM New York, but this song makes me wish I was.

Beniton da Menace, "Dutty Wine" - The "Wipe Out" riddim is kinda corny, but it just works with this song. And I mean, really, with a lyric that tells girls to "bop your head and dutty wine," how can you not like it?

Currency, "Where Da Cash At?" feat. Lil Wayne and Remy Ma - I didn't understand a damn word of the chopped and screwed chorus the first time I heard it. It took me several listens to decipher "Where da cash at?" Other than the intelligibilty of the song lyrics, it's a good song. I love it's cockiness ("You catch my girl's legs open, betta smash dat / don't be surprised when she ask where da cash at").

Mario Vasquez, "Gallery" - Really nice song. I didn't think much of Mario while he was on American Idol but this song changed my mind. The boy can sing.