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"They can give an extra boost to an already good song, and a much needed shove to an ‘’ok’’ tune. Also a video is the visual you are sending out to your fans, it’s what they use to perceive you as a person and an artist. The image you portray in a video is an image your fans identify you with, so it’s important to have videos, especially ones which reflect you in a positive light." - Annie on the importance of music videos.
"Even though I am an extremely competitive person, I like to think more in terms of collaborating with others than competing with them. All art forms are very subjective and it is difficult to compare one’s work with another. If you try to compete with another person you are really just trying to copy them and do a better job at it. The only competition worthwhile is with one’s own self. That way you retain your individuality and push yourself further." - Bilal Lashari on competition.
Album Review -
Flo Rida-
R.O.O.T.S
Flo Rida is the type of rapper you hate to love. His music is about as shallow as a kiddie pool
and he makes more pop songs than hip-hop
jams, but his flow is so sick and his hooks are so catchy that you can’t help but like him.
Flo Rida takes Southern bounce music to church on "Finally Here," the opening track on "R.O.O.T.S.," a tale of pulling himself up out of
poverty by his bootstraps, with a chorus that doesn't even need Auto-Tune.
That in itself is cause to celebrate. An even better reason is that overall, "R.O.O.T.S." is much more melodic than your average modern
rap record. In the same way that Nelly cast most of his raps in a singsong manner, Flo Rida flexes his pipes a little while showing off solid mic prowess.
And while there are several trap-rap, gangstafied tracks here, "R.O.O.T.S." is at its best when producers Dr. Luke, Eric Hudson, Mike Caren and DJ Montay, the mastermind behind "Low," up the tempo and keep Flo singing.
The shirtless cover shot has echoes of 50 Cent, but it's when he adds more R. Kelly-ish touches that Flo succeeds the most: Nelly Furtado provides the chorus for the squelchy low-end "Jump," "Gotta Get It (Dancer)" works a robot vocal on its hook, and "Available" uses techno as its jumping-off point, with a guest spot from Akon.
The first single, "Right Round," despite breaking the all-time weekly singles-download record, is not really representative of what "R.O.O.T.S." is all about. In fact, it's yet another example that MCs should not rap over "shuffle-style" triplet beats.
Regardless, Flo Rida is a bright spot in what has been a rather bleak winter for mainstream hip-hop.
WESTERN SPICE BITES
Whitney Houston countersues stepmother
Whitney Houston is countersuing her stepmother for $1.6 million. The Grammy-winning singer claims Barbara Houston owes her the money for failing to make payments on the Fort Lee, N.J., condominium where she has lived since 1987. Barbara Houston initiated the legal tussle last year when she claimed
the 45-year-old singer improperly kept proceeds from John Houston's $1 million insurance policy after he died in 2003. Barbara Houston claimed the singer was supposed to subtract $723,000 from the insurance money to provide her stepmother with a clear title. The singer says she provided her father with a mortgage loan to purchase the condo and was still owed most of the principal and all the interest when he died.
Madonna comes to aid of Italian earthquake victims
Madonna has made a "generous" donation to aid residents of the region of Italy where her grandparents once lived. The music icon's rep reports that Madonna heard that the mayor of her grandparents' former hometown -- a small Italian village called Pacentro -- had challenged her to help the victims of the 6.3 temblor. The rep couldn't confirm the amount donated but says that Madonna "responded generously" to the request for help.
Chris Brown enters not-guilty plea in beating case
Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to threatening and assaulting his girlfriend, fellow music superstar Rihanna.The 19-year-old R&B singer appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom alongside his attorney, Mark Geragos. He entered his plea in a soft voice while his mother sat in the first row, red-eyed. Brown was charged in March by Los Angeles County prosecutors with felony assault likely to cause great bodily injury and making criminal threats. He was arrested nearly a month earlier after police said he was involved in an early morning altercation with a woman. Court records list Brown's victim as "Robyn F." Rihanna's real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. The 21-year-old "Umbrella" singer was represented by attorney Donald Etra. If convicted, Brown could be sentenced to probation or nearly five years in prison.
BILLBOARD CHARTS
1 The Black Eyed Peas – Boom Boom Pow
2 Lady GaGa – Poker Face
3 Flo Rida – Right Round
4 Soulja Boy Tell'em Feat Sammie – Kiss Me
5 Jamie Foxx feat T-Pain – Blame It
6 T.I Feat Justin Timberlake – Dead and Gone
7 Kid Cudi – Day 'N' Nite
8 The All-American Rejects – Give You Hell
9 The Fray –You Found Me
10 Miley Cyrus – The Climb
Pakistani Top Charts
1. Shehzad Roy – Kismat Apney Hath Main
2. Inteha – Kehna Chahta Houn
3. Laal – Umeed-e-Sahar
4. Zeb aur Haniya – Chup
5. Shafqat Amanat Ali – Tabeer
6. Faraz – Tanha
7. Strings – Koi Aanay Wala Hai
8. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan – Charkha
9. Dino – Suno Zara
10. Ahmed Jahenzeb – Laut Aao
