I'm Back

I won't address my absence. There's no real excuse for it, other than I'm also a full-time student, and between trying to graduate, and trying to throw together a post-graduation career, free time has been minimal. That being said, I'll use this post to catch-up on some things I've missed, and you can expect a longer post sometime soon (probably after finals week).

So, I'll proceed with the randomness.

• It was my intention to write full review of The-Dream's Love v/s Money, but after so much procrastination, it's no longer timely. Still, I can more or less paraphrase my entire review in this tiny space: The-Dream delivers more of the same, and that's okay because it works so well; but in another album or two not even the hood will be able to overlook his consistently predictable production, lazy lyrics, and lack of actual vocal talent. When I ranked my favorite male R&B singers awhile ago The-Dream topped the list because Love/Hate was so refreshing. Love v/s Money isn't...but he's still running the show.
  

• I'm NOT commenting on Chris and Rihanna anymore...after this. The whole notion that Rihanna is expected to exercise more responsibility toward being a role model than being an actual person is ridiculous. The reality of mothers asking their daughters to erase Ri's music from their iPods because she may have gone back to Chris is as foolish as actually purchasing her music in the first place. It seems to me that those same mothers are less concerned with Rihanna's actual well being, and more eager to boost their own egos by exploiting her in a moment of (arguable) weakness. In reality, nothing about domestic violence is as cut and dry as it seems, and whether Rihanna leaves Chris today, next year, or spends the rest of her life with him, her only responsibility is to herself, not America's pop-culture-parented youth. Leave it to dedicated fans to kick a girl when she's down.

• Mariah, Nick Cannon, and The-Dream ALL need their asses cold-cut kicked for letting Mimi look the way she does in the video for "My Love." Hair half-braided, crotch length jean shorts, with a fitted hat and some J's? What in the Ja-Rule/J.Lo circa 2003 hell? Storyline or not, Mariah is too fly (and grown?) for that shit. And why the hell does a 38-year-old woman have magazine pictures of The-Dream on her wall? Love the song though.

• Kanye's new side-hustle is trying too hard. It's like, we get it: You're fly and fashion forward. But when you start rocking neon cut-out tights, and zebra prints...I can't. Amber Rose, you can find that same shit on any 10th-grade girl with access to a Dots, Citi-Trends, or your friendly neighborhood Wigs/Grocery/99-cent store.

• Is Beyonce the example of full-figured beauty now? I've been hearing that a lot over the past week or so (magazines, blogs, television), and I'm not sure that's fair to all the legit full-figured girls out there.

• Who knew Janet Jackson and Johnny Gill were BFFs? And I think it's safe to say that Jan is infinitely more comfortable in the plus-sized lane, and I ain't even mad.

• Speaking of Janet, Why Did I Get Married 2? Hmm, maybe this time Tyler will put some of the responsibility on the men. No, really. Ladies, ya'll got hosed last time around.

• What exactly qualifies Lady GaGa for urban radio? I kind of understood "Just Dance" (the Akon feature?),... but "Pokerface?" No.

• How creepy is this video? (Ginees?)