Lyrically Speaking (Signs by Beyonce)

Written by: Ccep J. Dew

I must admit: I learned all 12 zodiac signs, in order, by listening to this song. Similarly, Tyrese has a song called, “Signs of Love Making”, but this isn’t that type of article. (Look it up if you’re trying to get your grown and sexy on…)

I don’t know about you, but I’m always tickled when a song shouts out my zodiac sign. I’m a proud Taurus. Are we freaky? Yes… Yes, we are… Are we stubborn? Yup! But, we have other sides, too. And in corresponding and building relationships with people under different signs, I can’t help but take some delight in astrology.

It’s hard to say everything about astrology is accurate because, if you tweak your perspective of any given situation, things can be interpreted to mean whatever you want them to. I always bring up the fact that my big sister Chenita, a fellow Taurean goddess, said to me one day, “April Taurus are sweet. May Taurus are mean.” I immediately took offense, replying, “No, we’re not!” She then described how April Taurus deal with situations head-on and are very blunt and honest (just like my April 30th born dad!), whereas May Taurus are slow to anger, but, when we blow up, it’s catastrophic. I had to agree.

Similarly, Taureans are lovers of aesthetics. The April Taurus in my sister appreciates the finer things in life, like Vera Wang perfume and diamonds (her birth stone), whereas the May Taurus in me loves Bath & Body Works fragrance spray and cubic zirconia (emerald is my birth stone). Oddly enough, my niece Bajel, who was due in May, yet came early in April, seems to be caught in the middle. As far as appearance and aesthetics, she is an April Taurus just like her mom. But, as for her temper and stubbornness, she is just like her Aunt Nisey!

I say all this because knowing someone’s sign not only makes for great entertainment, but it can eXplain a lot about a person. One of my best guy friends has been classified as “arrogant” for as long as I’ve known him. So, of course I was not surprised to learn that he was an Aries: the most “arrogant” and “self-centered” of the zodiac. In a lot of aspects, he’s true to his sign, but to know his life’s story, you understand how he went from lacking confidence as a child to having the best self-esteem ever! And I appreciate that aspect of him, along with his overall caring nature and dedication to whatever he puts his mind to.

To View the article in its entirety, click the link below:

http://www.etmmagazine.info/Editorials/2010/articles/07/2010_07_lyricallyxix.html

Signs of the Times

The Internet Music Superstar
Written by: Billy Winn

When I was growing up, the idea of having my music heard all over the world was both fantastic and elusive. It was a time when the idea of getting a record deal seemed like a chance that few had the opportunity to partake in, and even fewer were fortunate enough to keep if they did manage to achieve it. But in recent years, that seemingly farfetched idea has changed drastically—as the internet has helped to launch dozens of music careers all across the globe. Artists like American pop singer Cassie and U.K. soul sensation Adele are just two eXamples of major music careers that started with the help of online sites like MySpace.com and YouTube. Internet radio stations are also helping to foster lucrative careers for artists who would otherwise go unnoticed. The question is, however: are most of these artists really being taken seriously by the public and the industry? Or will they simply be written off as overnight internet wonders?

It is a question that one would assume is asked often, or at least should be, especially if you are an artist working to gain success in this way. On the surface, it would appear to be a surefire way to skyrocket to stardom—post a song online and get as many people as you can to listen to it, until the hits reach the millions. But, is it really as easy as it sounds? With so many people who are not trying to become serious artists, but rather, gain their fifteen minutes of fame through shameless online antics, it is difficult to imagine that record companies and consumers of music are prone to jump on an artist’s bandwagon simply because they have a popular online page. Serious artists have to not only utilize the great resources of the internet—but, also continue to go about achieving their dream the old-fashioned way—which means getting to the top is really no easier than it ever was.

That doesn’t mean, however, that overnight fame via the internet is impossible. Many serious artists have taken a new age approach to the old ways of gaining eXposure, using sites like YouTube.com to post footage of live events and shows, informal unplugged performances, and even conducting interviews to tell the world just who they are. Many aspiring artists have also taken to garnering airplay on internet radio stations, which has not only led to great success for so many, but has helped to usher in the golden age of the independent artist. With stations like Pandora radio and Jango willing to play the music of the relatively unknown, as well as post links of where to find and purchase the music, many artists have abandoned the hopes of major label success and are focusing their attention on their internet fans. And considering that they’re able to do so and sell hundreds of thousands of records worldwide, it is easy to conclude that their careers are substantial.

To view the entire article, click the link below:

http://www.etmmagazine.info/freeyourmind/2010/articles/07/2010_07_signsofthe.html

Music Hits on the Spot (You're Like A Mirror to My Soul by Donald Mitchell)

...but a queen
And finally now I know just what that means

I'm not sure why this particular song has been runnin TUFF in my mind over the past few days. I DO know that it's been on constant repeat in my brain (and on the iPod, and on YouTube as well), but eh, it is what it is.



This is a deep line right here. I don't know what exactly is going on here, but if you find this type of woman that fits you like a glove....chances are, you're not going to want to leave her alone. Honestly....I have one question that always sticks out in the back of my mind:

Is there a such thing as the PERFECT woman or man?

Honestly, I can't say that there is that such person....BUT there is a such person as the perfect one for YOU. One that takes your breath away in one fell swoop...one that only has YOUR eyes. One that has you so caught up, that (in the words of the great Lauryn Hill) "Nothing even matters....no more".

When a person is in love...you've found that person. You're willing to look past their faults, and love their promises; their abilities; their love. And in that alone, makes that person perfect...for YOU.

"No matter how far I go
And no matter how long it takes
No one or nothing can change
Forever yours here I stand"

Stop Taking Shit For Granted (As Told By Northernstar)

Self-Explanatory...

Leave your comments, rate & subscribe! (And excuse the way I looked lol... I was tired but had to get this off my chest)

Music Hits The Spot (Thoughtful By Donald Mitchell)

I know I've chatted about this song before, but as I listened to it more and more, it made me think about some things that I never would have thought about before.

Loveaholism....is there a cure for that?

Raheem DeVaughn seems to think that there is. Unfortunately, the problem is this: once you have it the first time, it would seem that you would be addicted to it. Now there's not a problem with being addicted to this "Love Drug"; but the real question is this: do you have to have this drug ALL the time, or is it that you can have it in doses?

I would think that this is one of those things that you SHOULD have in doses; yet and still, it's one of those that you WANT to have all the time. Let's face it; if you are deep in love, then you'll need it all the time. And there's definitely nothing wrong with that...especially if the love that you feel is requited by the object of your desires.

This "prescription" should be handled with care though. Cause it's been known to take you sky high when you're lip locked with that special someone. It should probably be dubbed "The Starship Enterprise"....cause it takes you where "no man has gone before". LOL. But on the real though, I've been there before. It definitely had me addicted, and not where I couldn't kick it, but I didn't WANT to kick it.

The sad part is that whenever you happen to kick this habit, that means that you're no longer in love. And nobody wants to be there...because being in love can be one of the best feelings in the world: to know that you love a special someone, and that special someone loves you back. So whenever you come across this particular drug, make sure that you get as much of it as you can.

The demand is always there, but the supply can run low at times. But I always got what you need.....

Cause I'm your Mr. Midnight pusher man.

Music Hits the Spot Series (Rainy Days by Donald Mitchell)

Nah this ain't about that Ja Rule song featuring MJB...lol. It's a dedication to the weather outside, and if you know me, then you'll know that rain puts me in a relaxed state of mind. One where you wanna throw on some chill type music, kick back, and just enjoy....whether it be with your boo, or even by yourself.



This song is a perfect example of what's on my "Rainy Days" playlist. Soft soulful music like this, to help clear the mind of the day's ills. I've always loved this song even though this was nearing the end of what we knew as SWV, but they def went out with a bang.

Here is another one on my playlist:



This is a throwback/shoutout to 1994 when soundtracks were all the rage. This one is coming from the Sugar Hill Soundtrack featuring Kevon Edmonds (baby brother of great producing legend Babyface). Back in the time when harmonizing was what you wanted in life. Still love this song to this day. I'm sure all my REAL musicheads remember this one.

And you can't have a rainy day mix without the all-time favorite song about "rain":



New Edition's Heartbreak. Every black teen had a copy of this album (or at least should have..lol). Hearing these 5 dudes croon about how they had a love, and lost it, and having to stand the rain....granted, we were too young to know what they were talking about, but we loved the song nonetheless. Either way, we sang like we knew exactly what they meant. (At least I did).

And for good measure...here is a bonus track:



No explanation needed....at least I hope not. lol

REJECTED!!! (As Told By ^NorthernStar*)

Have you ever “beat yourself up” for not getting that promotion at your job you’ve desperately wanted? Or have you ever gone through a breakup with someone, you loved very much but they didn’t want to compromise with you? Or what about getting “shut out” from football team, you’ve hoped to be the quarterback for?! We’ve all faced rejection in our lives, but we must not allow those clouds to hang over our heads! Deal with the pain, but move on with your life. There will be many more opportunities in the future, and that obviously mean that what you were rejected by (job, boyfriend/ girlfriend, sports team, modeling agencies, record labels, etc.) it wasn’t for you.

If you were rejected by that job you passionately wanted, then maybe it wasn’t in God’s plan to allow you to work at that specific place. Maybe, you weren’t ready or you were TOO good for the environment! Or if Tavon isn’t interested in you anymore, maybe you need to work on self-love first or he just might not be the one for you. These things happen for a reason, and you will have to always face rejection wherever you go. Live in positivity, and stay motivated to prove to yourself that you can accomplish your goals & it will be the rejectors who will regret not giving you the fair opportunity.

I look at the story of a group Girls Tyme, whom lost against their opponents on the now-defunct “Star Search”. They later became Destiny’s Child… auditioned for Columbia Records, but were not signed. A year later, they were signed to Elektra Records and were dropped before releasing any material. The girls auditioned for the executives of Columbia Records, once again… and received a recording contract. They released their first two albums, and after getting their feet wet… two girls from the group left! But the remainder of the group, Beyonce Knowles & Kelly Rowland, kept working and found two new members. Five months later, one of the new girls left & they became a trio. After all of the drama, blood, sweat & tears… Destiny’s Child has become the world’s biggest girl groups ever!

If these girls could go through the leaps and bounds of life & still survive, then so can you! Don’t chase after anything that isn’t worth the while… everything works out in the end for you, but you must be able to accept rejection & grow from it!

Below is an inspirational song by Mariah Carey, which has helped me in the past, deal with rejection:

I Choose... Me (As Told By ^Northernstar)

Have you ever been in a situation where you've found yourself fighting against the odds & living in fear of what others might say?! Or felt like your decisions was based off the emotions of a loved one?! Or have you ever had good intentions about something, and it goes terribly wrong?! Ask yourself this question... do you base your decisions around yourself or others! Because at the end of the day, you can risk your happiness for someone else & they will NOT do the same for you. They will continue to do the things they want to do regardless.

In India.Arie's song "I Choose"... she expresses how she's tired of feeling guilty by being human & learning life's lessons. Why should we feel ashamed to make decisions for ourselves?! Yeah, we may hurt many people in the process of our decision making, but no matter how good our intentions are, or how honest we can be... someone will always get hurt in the end. As insensitive as it may sound, it's called life, and "I can't live for everybody, I gotta live my life for me".

Lady Gaga on Beyonce's Level?! (As Told By ^Northernstar*)

Okay, I would like to start off by saying I love Lady Gaga to death... I love her innovative style, her tone (voice), songs & "IDGAF" attitude. However, I'm hearing people say she's on Beyonce's level/ status... and I am APPALLED by that. I'm happy to see another woman (Gaga) be on top of her shit because I'm tired of Beyonce being the only one bringing something to the table.But people have to remember that Beyonce has been in the game since 1997, that is THIRTEEN years. Gaga has been in the game, since 2008. Yeah, she's headlining her own tour after a short amount of time & she has also won two Grammys so far in her career. But we've seen how fast "pop stars" can easily gain popularity & within one mistake, their career is over. Beyonce has experienced the leaps & bounds of stardom, and has managed to sustain longevity in a tough industry. And the girl is still getting better & better with each album. Only in due's time could I say the same about Gaga.

Performance wise, they both bring something interesting to the table. Gaga, is known for her crazy costumes, tantrum-piano playing, & singing-dancing simultaneously. Beyonce is known for her ability to sing & dance at the same time, throw around her lace fronts and still HIT notes. And let's not forget about her undeniable stage presence. I'd say Gaga only has one thing over Bey, and that's the ability to play the piano. However, her singing & dancing simultaneously has resulted to her fainting at a few concerts recently, and she has only been touring for about 3/4 months. Beyonce has a BIGGER catalogue than Gaga, her shows are 2hrs plus, and her recent "I Am.." tour ran from March 2009 to February 2010.. And not once has she passed out at a show!

Songs, I think it's a matter of preference. Gaga mainly sings dance music, but occasionally sings ballads & even sing acoustic versions of her dance records live. Beyonce is known for her uptempo songs, as well... but she can also rip a ballad to shreds. They both are versatile artists... but in my opinion, Beyonce could sing "Pokerface", "Bad Romance", & "LoveGame" in a heartbeat. However, can you really imagine Lady Gaga singing "Listen", "Single Ladies", "Dangerously in Love", "If I Were A Boy", or even "Crazy in Love", and still share the same brilliance Beyonce brought to those songs?!

Videos: I think is Gaga's strongest point, and she does take things to the next level. The "Bad Romance" video was pure brilliance & maybe one of the best videos I've seen in the past five years. And "Paparazzi" is awesome, as well. The video for "Telephone" featuring Beyonce is not one of my favorites. I believe the beginning & overused sexuality was very uncalled for. And I think her usage of sexuality may hurt her a bit... in the same sense that it almost hurt Madonna in the early 90s. Yes, it's a different generation, but many people aren't accepting of it!!! In my honest opinion, videos aren't Beyonce's strongest point.. but she has made a classic out of the "Single Ladies" video which she recorded in ONE take, and was VERY popular on YouTube with fans doing many renditions of the video! And her underrated video for "If I Were A Boy" was definitely one of her best!

Accomplishments: They were both honored by Billboard as the "Rising Star of 2009" (Gaga) & "Artist of the Year" (Beyonce) respectively. I have to say for Gaga to be 23 years old, and to have been in the game for two plus years... she is doing the damn thing. Two Grammys, a world wide tour, two number ones on Billboard Hot 100 & she's a fashion trendsetter. Beyonce, I don't even know where to begin. She has many endorsement deals, broke a record of 16 Grammys (13 solo), five number ones on Billboard Hot 100, sung for the Obamas, sung at the Oscars five times in her career, first black woman to win an ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award, Number one in Forbes highest paid celebrities two years in a row, Billboard's Female Artist of the DECADE... so on & so forth! Come on now... do I need to say to more?!

In my honest opinion, I do think Gaga is one of the most creative artists I've seen in a very very long time. But will she last in this industry is the real question. Because at the end of the day, Beyonce has NOTHING to prove... she could retire today if she wanted to. On the other hand, Gaga has ALOT to prove... and she is NOT on Beyonce's level.

Embracing Your Personal Beauty (Written by: Chenita “Infinite Apex” Dickerson)

…And a child shall lead them; how amadamaphus it is to see the pure innocence that comes from children as it relates to their self-confidence, and acceptance of themselves and others. Often we want the opposite of what we are blessed or born with. There is nothing wrong with enhancing, changing, perfecting, embellishing, and molding all that we want to be different about our selves. But, loathing ourselves, sadly, is why the beauty industry is raking in all the dollars that everyone swears is lost to a so-called recession.

Being in the beauty industry myself, I witness first-hand those who I wish would embrace their own natural beauty and take enhancing as a “want” and not a “I’ll just take my rent money and get my hair done” thing. If a man’s hair is too thick, he wants it thinned. If it’s too thin, he wishes for thicker hair. When hair is long, they want short. Too short, they want long. People pay for perms to have curly and others pay for the curls to be straight with relaxers or keratin treatments. We fry, dye, and weave just to be able to eXcape from the reality of who we are.

“I’m too thin… I should eat…”

“I’m too fat… I should eXercise…”

“I’m too tall; my feet are too big; my nose is ugly; I’m not smart enough, funny enough, White enough, (this one kills me) BLACK enough…”

Why worry about what name is on your jeans? They are not paying you to advertise on your butt. It costs all of around $5.00 to make a pair of Nikes and we shell out upwards of $150 by the time our senses tell us we must have them, because we don’t love ourselves without the latest pair.

My gracious, no wonder we need pills to get up in the morning and another pill to go to bed at night; pills to stop constipation and another to stop diarrhea. We are a confused generation.

To view the entire article, click the link below:

http://www.etmmagazine.info/wakeup/2010/articles/04/2010_04_embracingyour.html