Making The Band 4: Season 3, Episode 1 Rewind

Mello: I'm addicted to MTB…and Big Mike
Mack: lol… clearly
Mello: shutup
Mack: i saw your message from last night
Mello: yea Laurie Ann is a trip
Mack: I LOVE her!!
Mello: she's crazy
Mack: nah... she's got vision
Mello: yea, I know but her vibe is hilarious/crazy
Mack: I love her work ethic. She sees something and she pulls it out of you. A lot of people aren't used to someone that's balls to the wall for what they see in their mind
Mello: her & diddy been bumping skins
Mack: oh yeah... i got a little teary with their lil heart to heart moment. Oh, and classic Aubrey...."oops BOOBIES!"
Mello: she's a hot ass! I love her tho
Mack: she's the comic relief side to DK... she's so candid. I love watchin her
Mello: yea… dawn & q still goin… I love them!
Mack: in that preview clip he was like "Dawn I think I wanna marry you!"
Mello: yea
Mack: oh yeah... u think they're really getting married?
Mello: hmmm… with them its hard 2 tell. They're soooo in love
Mack: yeah. i think the network is playin it up, but I definitely think Aubrey and Donnie bumped uglies too
Mello: oh yea of course, with her hot ass anything’s a go
Mack: she's so real tho... she's the type of chick that would fart around u… lol
Mello: oh yea I know. That's why I like her… its her "I don't give a fuck" attitude
Mack: The guys dance steps looked a lot better with Laurie Ann though. They were hittin some classic New Edition steps
Mello: they're more crisp
Mack: yeah... but in the back of my mind i'm wondering... can they sing while they're doin all this
Mello: true… they definately will need stamina
Mack: yeah, cause Diddy don't play... and neither do I
Mello: lol
Mack: I will blast your ass if you get up on stage dancing and out of breath when u sing. I wanna hear what I heard on the album or better and I wanna see a SHOW with it!
Mello: true
Mack: but I got faith in these guys, they can do it. that album is hot... stays in rotation on my iPod. I don't know about Donnie though, I feel kinda bad for him.
Mello: yea
Mack: His CD is not gonna make #1… it may do top 5, but it's not gonna be #1... Young Jeezy is releasing "The Recession" on the same day
Mello: I'm going 2 support Donnie
Mack: Diddy strategically planned the releases of Day 26 and Danity Kane so that they wouldn't be competing with any other major artists...but it's like ‘whatever’ for Donnie!
Mello: he will get some sales but he’s not gonna do dk or day 26 #s
Mack: nah... his vibe is totally different too. More pop, Justin Timberlake-ish
Mello: true… imma support him. I can't wait 4 da next episode!

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Not Quite His Time

Artist: Noel Gourdin
Album: After My Time
Release Date: 7.22.08

It’s taken me a while to write this review, because I’ve been trying to give it an honest chance. I picked up this CD as I browsed my local Best Buy a few weeks ago. The price was lookin’ pretty nice and since I liked his single, The River, I decided to give this brother a chance. I’ll be honest, initially I didn’t like it and it’s taken about the full 2 weeks to start growing on me. It wasn’t as good as I expected, and I doubt it will stay in my rotation, but there are a few nice cuts on it. Now usually when it comes to new artists, there’s a lead single to get my attention and the second single determines whether I’ll buy the album or not, but hey it was 7.99 so I figured he could get the benefit of the doubt off just one song. There’s no denying Noel Gourdin is a talented vocalist, but it takes more than a voice to make a good album.

After My Time (though littered with old school samples) lacks any real depth of content, and there’s barely any originality. Most of this project comes off as candy-shop music – a few appealing samples, but nothing of value under the wrapper. One Love is the opening track and is one of the more enjoyable songs on the album. The harmonies here mesh well with the production over a smooth mid-tempo beat. I’d also recommend I Fell, and my favorite, Led You On, which is probably the most lyrically deviant and musically speaking, the best to listen to. The sound and feel of the band backing his vocals on this track is the most genuine, and this is clearly where Gourdin fits the best. But then there are tracks like Hurts Like Hell and P.Y.T. where the vocals are nice, but the lyrics seem dry and almost desperate. The hook on Open can get a bit annoying after a while, and I probably would have shortened this down to an interlude instead of a full track.

Vocally, his sound and style is very reminiscent of Carl Thomas, but more modern. I had hope for this guy, but I’m not sure if I’d recommend it to my R&B fans out there. After My Time sounds like it’s just been overproduced and the lyrics have been pieced together from today’s larger R&B acts. Gourdin has a natural vocal ability that would probably fit better without as much production; I’d like to hear him do an acoustic set, or more tracks with the backing of a live band, and write some more emotional songs instead of the same stale R&B lyrics. Maybe it was lack of the artist’s creative control, or maybe it was too much creative control, but when it comes to After My Time, I wish him better luck next time…

Related Post: Noel Gourdin: Down Home Sangin!!

-Mack-

WORLD, WHAT'S GOIN ON?!?

This is a real news story, about a real event, experienced by a real human being. This hits home because Levi Lee is a fellow alumnus of Johnson C. Smith University, and this is his story. Sound-Savvy has readers of all races, and I don't want this article to cause anyone to make blanket generalizations about any one race. This isn't just an act of hatred, it's an act of ignorance, cowardice and disregard for human life. When will we realize that we need each other to survive? When will we realize that skin color is but a miniscule element in the makeup of a man, and has no bearing on a man's character? When we have to see pictures of this in our newspapers or on our blogsites, when do we stop and ask ourselves: WHAT'S GOIN ON??

'They Just Beat Us Up Because Of The Color Of Our Skin'
By Wendy Ruderman
The Philadelphia Daily News
Posted on 8.18.08

LEVI LEE and Bryson Mills arrived on the doorstep of the Daily News last week looking bruised and battered.

Even hard-bitten reporters - their eyes widening - seemed taken aback by the appearance of the two young men.

Their clothes were smudged with blood. Mills gingerly pressed an ice pack to his right eye, which was swollen shut. Lee sported gashes in his lip and head.

But the worst injuries weren't visible.

As victims of an alleged hate crime, Lee and Mills said they suffered the kind of soul-penetrating wounds that may never completely heal.

"They didn't know us," Lee said. "We didn't know them.

"They just beat us up because of the color of our skin."

Lee and Mills, both 22, said that they were so disturbed by the experience that they felt compelled to speak out publicly. They recounted their story with a kind of mild-mannered outrage:

Mills had just one more week of summer vacation before classes resumed at Bloomsburg University, where he is captain of the basketball team. Lee, who graduated from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., in May, wanted to show his childhood friend a good time before he went back to school.

Duded up in designer clothing, they spent Thursday night clubbing in Old City. They finished the evening at Moda Lounge, a hip place on Chestnut Street known for speciality cocktails and a big dance floor. At about 2 a.m., they walked along Market Street, looking to catch a cab home. The streets were peppered with weary partyers. Suddenly, at 5th and Market streets, Lee and Mills said that they spotted about six or seven white men chasing a black man.

" 'Get back here, n-----,' " one yelled, according to Lee and Mills. " 'We gonna get you, n-----.' "

One of the white guys took a swing at the black guy, and Mills said that he yelled out something like, "Yo, they're jumping that black guy!"

The pack of white males turned their attention to Mills and Lee, while the guy they were chasing took off toward Penns Landing and disappeared.

"That's when they came running towards us and said, 'You f------ n------,' " Lee said.

One guy took a swing at Mills, striking him in the shoulder. Mills said he threw a punch and another guy joined the fight. Lee stepped in to help Mills, and three other white guys pounced. Some wielded two-by-fours. The wooden planks sliced Lee's face, according to Mills and Lee.

As stunned witnesses watched, Lee said he ran into the middle of Market Street and stopped a police car. Meanwhile, Mills lay crumbled on the ground after getting repeatedly stomped, kicked and punched. The white guys ran off, screaming racial slurs, Mills and Lee said.

"It's like they had no regard for us as human beings," Mills said.

Paramedics took Mills and Lee to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where they spent six hours before doctors determined that they had suffered no broken bones or serious head injuries. Mills' girlfriend, Courtney Gordon, said that she was deep asleep at 4:30 a.m. when Lee called.

"He said, 'I need you to come to the hospital. Bryson's eye looks very bad,' " Gordon said.

When she got to Jefferson about a half-hour later, Gordon said that she tried to hide her horror when she saw Mills. By then, police Det. Thomas Galonsky was there to take their statements. He informed them that police already had two suspects in custody.

"There was a real good witness, an independent witness, who watched the whole thing," Galonsky said in a phone interview Friday.

The witness pointed out two guys, who were nabbed about a block away from 5th and Market, Galonsky said.

Police arrested Richard Lyons, 25, and James Genearao, 26, also known as James Cummings, both from the city's Fishtown section. Lyons and Genearao, who was charged under the name Cummings, were charged with criminal conspiracy, possession of an instrument of a crime, simple assault, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, reckless endangerment and ethnic intimidation.

Galonsky said that he was still trying to identify other possible suspects. He didn't know whether to characterize the incident as a hate crime, he said.

"I think some hate might have come out during the attack, but I don't know what sparked the whole thing," he said.

Lyons' mother, Nicole Lyons, said that her son is not a racist.

"I know my son and he's not anything like that," she said.

She claimed that Mills and Lee attacked her son, perhaps in an attempt to rob him. Genearao's family could not be reached for comment.

Lee and Mills grew up together in North Philly and graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School. They both won college scholarships. In college, they thrived, feeling as though no matter their ethnicity or where they came from, if they worked hard nothing could hold them back.

Now they are less certain of that. Never before had they encountered such in-your-face racism, Lee and Mills said.

Mills' mother, Anita Bethea, said that she cried when her son told her what had happened.

"Something just dropped in me," Bethea said. "It really hurt. I was upset that he had to learn that racial tension and racial hatred still exist in 2008. His belief that all is right with the world is gone. There is no getting it back." *

TIYMLI: An Alien From Outer Space

Artist: Janelle Monae
Album: Metropolis - The Chase Suite
Release Date: 8.12.08

What's up Sound-Savvy readers, wanted to hit you with Bad Boy's newest, freshest talent a cybergirl by the name of Janelle Monae. Don't expect this to be your traditional Bad Boy sound. It seems Puff let go of all the creative strings, and the result is something a lil out of this world. Check her out, we think you may like her.

Mack: aight Janelle Monae
Mello: a very colorful artist to say the least
Mack: yeah very imaginative, she does a great job painting the story
Mello: as most artists should
Mack: I like her cause she brings something different. She's like straight outta left field
Mello: luckily, I caught the ball. I understood each track, from beginning to end
Mack: a lot of people won't though; her content will go right over their heads
Mello: of course, some people will judge her book by its cover and won't give her a listen
Mack: but even her voice is very strong. I could tell she was holding back a little but she's got a tiger in there
Mello: she might be saving that 4 her full album, just giving those willing to listen, something to look forward to
Mack: yeah. I really liked Sincerely Jane and Smile. Smile kinda has that old school feel to it almost like somethin out of the 60s. Well it is a remake, but her voice gives it that old school touch, keeps it classic. Nat King Cole did the original
Mello: yea, I really love the lead track, Violet Stars
Mack: I like her fresh vibe... not really R&B, not really pop, she's like an alternative mesh between them all with a techno spin
Mello: like an andre 3000
Mack: I could hear her teamin up with him
Mello: that'll be explosive, two random personalities on one track
Mack: yeah, and I would also love to hear her work with N.E.R.D. They both have such alternative styles. That would be one colorful ass song… and one high ass recording session!
Mack: from what I read about her, she's got some background in broadway too. That's probably why her instrumentals sound so good with her vocals. She's used to that big band sound. I like her, definitely interested to see what she’s got next.

Related Post: TIYMLI: Try It You Might Like It

Monica is 'Still Standing'

We asked for it, we got it... Monica's putting the finishing touches on a new album due out this fall, and we're ready for her to redeem herself. The Makings of Me was largely a disappointment to Monica's longtime fans due to its lack of content, vocals and all around effort. Yet hope remains that Miss Thang can bounce back and bring it home. The first single Still Standing features fellow ATLien Ludacris, and discusses her struggles and resilience - which seems to be a resounding theme from ATL's heavy hitters. She dealt with the suicide of her ex-boyfriend Jarvis, which she discussed quite a bit on I Wrote This Song from the After The Storm album. Judging from the title of her new project, we may be in for another more personal look into the life of Monica, which could yield some hard-hitting and enjoyable content. However this first single is not strong enough to convince me that the classic Monica that I grew to love in the 90's is back. My fingers are still crossed. Check it out here...

Related Post: Why We Love Her So Much

-Mack-

Brandy is back, and she's HUMAN

YES!!! I am a huge fan of B-Rocka and I've been anxiously awaiting her return!! Her 5th studio album, Human, will be in stores in November. Here is the first official single, entitled Right Here (Departed). Listen to how strong her voice has grown over the years. A new look, a new label, a stronger sound and she's back with Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins, the mastermind producer behind several of her previous hits. Brandy has been in the game with hits for almost 15 years, and it sounds like she's coming back stronger than ever. Check out her new single right here!!

Related Post: The Return of B-Rocka

-Mack-

Yung Berg: Whose Album Is It Anyway?

Artist: Yung Berg

Album: Look What You Made Me
Release Date: 8.12.08

I had to be very objective when listening to this CD, because I’m really not a fan of Yung Berg. In fact, I don’t even like him. He comes off unnecessarily arrogant in his interviews, his rhymes are really not that great, and I’m guessing he didn’t get the memo that doing a nursery rhyme with Ray J. doesn’t do much for your career – I mean come on, it’s Ray J. But anyway, I got a copy of Berg’s debut album Look What You Made Me and I gotta say, it’s better than I expected. Don’t get it twisted though, this album is far from being a classic, but there are a few tracks I could keep in rotation...

The truth of the matter is that it’s really not Yung Berg that makes this CD worth the listen. More than half the songs on this album are collaborations, with some highly respected artists by the way. There’s Brandy’s brother, Twista, Trey Songz, Lloyd, Amerie, Eve, reggae artist Collie Buddz. The title track is a nice intro to Yung Berg the artist, and discusses his influences, past record deals (he was signed at age 15 to DMX’s Bloodline Records) and the factors that have shaped him as an artist. The problem with the remainder of the CD is you really only listen to see how well he blends with other, superior talent. Where Do We Go with Twista is one of the album’s better moments, but he’s outshined on his own track by Twista’s superior wordplay. Then there’s One Night featuring Trey Songz, one of the many songs for the ladies. This is probably the arena where Yung Berg fits best – making songs for the ladies. His attempts to establish any type of street cred (Do That There) hardly seem authentic. Another highlight of the album is Get Your Number with Amerie, but only because her spicy vocals save this track from the total wackness of Berg’s lyrics: shawty fish bowlin’, so I drop flakes… Yeah, okay… Even Eve drops in a hot verse on the album's closer, Victory Lap, but Berg takes a backseat yet again and just can't cut it next to the pitbull in a skirt.

Case in point: Look What You Made Me proves that the right amount of guest appearances can make any album worthwhile. The problem is Yung Berg’s lyrical ability and talents are minimized next to the well-established artists on his album. On most of the tracks, you’re really only listening for their contributions rather than his. But hey, it is what it is, and THEY still make the album pretty good, even if he doesn’t.

-Mack-

Don't Touch My Radio

I posted this track a few months back, when it first leaked to the net. Last night was the premiere of Musiq's Access Granted for Radio. Nice concept, nice video, bangin song. Musiq is on his way back with his 4th studio release, due out in November. Stay tuned, Sound-Savvy will keep you updated. For now, please don't touch my radio...

The Greatest

Some of you read in the R&B Prescription post a few weeks back that Michelle Williams' debut album, Unexpected, was set to drop next week. Well, as is normal in the music biz, her album has been pushed back, now set for an October 7th release. I had featured this song in that post, but it's really so special that it deserves it's own post. This is set to be her next single from the album, it's called The Greatest and it's one of the best ballads I've heard all year. Vocally, lyrically and musically, this song totally delivers Michelle's unique style. Listen to it here:

-Mack-

Year of The Lover....

Artist: Lloyd

Album: Lessons in Love

Release Date: 8.5.08

Mr. Long Hair don't care has returned with his third release "Lessons in Love" , & might I add, some of the tracks are heavily sex driven. It's very clear he wanted to make that special someone feel extra special. Unlike his 2nd album, "Street Love", this album flows like the Nile river. It's very fluid in its delivery. Each song tells a story which flows into the other, taking you on a nice, calming, yet sensual ride.

For those listeners looking to feed their sexual appetite, take a listen to "Year of the Lover". He speaks highly of that special lady, whom he caters to in every way imaginable. "...this is the year of the lover, lets make a baby... Might I add this is my favorite track off the album. Every woman should be taken care of in this manner. What female wouldn't love to be the leading lady in this video. Unfortunately, if I were the star, this would have to be featured on BET'S UNCUT. I'm not sure if Lil Lloyd could handle Mellomusic. But nonetheless, fellas, please take note!

On "I Can Change Your Life", he speaks about a woman being in a relationship in which she's being treated less than what she deserves. He feels he's the missing piece to her puzzle. ..."I can change your life, if you let me..."

If you enjoy ballads, chances are you will love this album. This album shows growth on many levels for Lloyd, though its not on the level of Southside, it definitely serves its purpose.

-Mello-