Is Amerie’s “Why R U” The New Radio Killer?

Outside your window is the sound of Amerie’s street cred making a comeback. So Amerie doesn’t have the war stories to go toe-to-toe with your favorite rapper, but her singles are music’s top guns. After an endorsement overdose by—none other—Funkmaster Flex last week on Hot 97, Amerie’s new single “Why R U?” is next on deck.

Now one of the leading ladies on Island/Def Jam, Amerie is the female a-alike to the Dream—a real radio killer (zing!). “Why R U?” produced by the Buchanans (responsible for Jay-Z’s “What More Can I Say?”) borrows the break-beat drums of “Ego Trippin’” by the Ultramagnetic MC’s—a warm hip-hop welcome to her new digs. L.A. Reid is billed as executive producer for the crucial fourth album, titled In Love & War by the Korean/African-American siren. Since jumping ship from Colombia records, the new record deal last year with Def Jam is already making up for Amerie’s last effort, Because I Love It which wasn’t released in the U.S. Check out how Amerie’s pop-friendly vocals blurs the line of Go-Go music and late ’80s rap below.

Download: Amerie, “Why R U”

Mariah Carey Takes Off The Glitter In Precious

Seeing how hard critics dissed Mariah Carey’s first real acting effort, Glitter could very well have relegated her visual presence to music videos forever. Ol’ girl deserves more credit than that—MC is a star (Nick Cannon can vouch), and she’s reborn with more range than expected in Precious. In the new flick backed by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, Mariah plays a Harlem-based social worker, who helps an overweight girl from an abusive home.

Blink and you might actually miss Mariah, that is outside of her around-the-way-girl, take no -ish New York twang. To redefine her acting career, Mimi got real. Shedding the glossy pop persona in exchange for a flat hairdo and granny duds is a drastic change of appearance akin to beauty sacrifices made by accomplished actresses like Charlize Theron, and Renée Zellweger . Catch a glimpse of MC in the trailer for Precious below.

[Via Huffington Post]

Welcome To Electrik Red’s Charm School

Clockwise from top left: Naomi Allen, Sarah Rosete, Binkie Reevey, Lesley Lewis. Photo by: John Francis Peters

The music, according to Electrik Red is a work in progress—a journey, not a destination. We know Three Six Mafia said, “it’s hard out here for a pimp,” but it’s no mystery that women travel a rocky road too, if not more so. Come May 26th Electrik Red’s debut album, How To Be A Lady: Volume 1, will show you how to do this son—ahem, ladies.

The members of Def Jam’s newest pop-sensation, Naomi Allen, Lesley Lewis, Sarah Rosete, and Kydra “Binkie” Reevey are cut from a different cloth of girl groups. Where television manufactures over-sized collectives to march to the drum of their male-puppet masters, Electrik Red’s foursome stands out as “the real.” Their close-knit friendship which began in 2000, helped build the framework for an accomplished career as former models and backup dancers (featured in Ciara’s “Like A Boy” video). Now as the vessels for songs written by The-Dream (and produced by partner Tricky Stewart) there is no difference in how they share the stage. Get a crash course on Electrik Red from The Fader’s Issue 59 in the link below.

Download F59 in .pdf form here.

Can Kelis Make A Comeback?

Can’t get along without you.

Say it ain’t so; Kelis and Nas are officially divorced. The news about the breakup of hip-hop’s other power couple was confirmed this week by Nas and Kelis’ attorney, Laura Wasser. As it turns out, the actual divorce papers that are circulating the blogosphere stated their relationship was already south-bound when they separated on April 20th, 2009.

But as their personal lives go through the ringer, both of their careers are also kind of hanging by a thread. Nas may continue to release material to lukewarm responses like he did with his last album, but now Kelis won’t be there to help finish his sentences on his press runs. So where does that leave Harlem’s finest (sorry Teyana Taylor), Kelis Rogers? Kelis hasn’t put out a studio album since Kelis Was Here in 2006, and she’s due with lil baby Nas this July. The former Fader mag cover girl’s hiatus from music isn’t as extreme as say, Lauryn Hill’s, but we’d hate to see her fade into pop/r&b obscurity. So before we cry “the milk’s gone bad,” here are five steps Kelis can take to shake things up again.

#5 USE A MAJOR LAZER

When Diplo and Switch joined forces for their (soon-to-be-classic) dancehall-baltimore-electronica genre-bender, Kelis was rumored to be a featured guest on the album. The tag team known as Major Lazer have had hands in molding the careers of M.I.A., and Santogold. We expected Kelis, who mothered their eccentric style of dress to have the same chemistry. Lo and behold, her song isn’t on the tracklist. Only time will tell if this collaboration will ever see the light of day.

#4 GO M.I.A.

Now that Kelis has shed the dead weight of a relationship with Nas, she’s built for bigger things like motherhood. History has shown us that pregnancy can inspire, like it did on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, to M.I.A.’s string of appearances sporting a baby bump. But while Kelis may not be on every rapper’s radar like Mrs. Paper Planes, her sultry voice is still unmatched in the pop world.

#3 REUNITE WITH THE NEPTUNES

If Nas can make amends with Jay-Z, anything is possible. When Kelis parted ways with the Neptunes, it seemed like she was washed up. Being synonymous with Pharrell though, hasn’t pigeonholed her the way it did the Clipse when they went out on their own. Producers like Polow da Don, Bangladesh, and Will.i.Am prove that Kelis has versatility. Still though, there’s only one way to make a milkshake, and it takes the Neptunes’ ecclectic mix of ingredients to bring out her best.

#2 PLOT A U.K. TAKEOVER

Kelis was already pretty far left when she debuted with “Caught Out There.” It took a minute for folks to grasp a less than traditional, happy I’m raspy voice, especially when aimed over a male-bashing anthem like “Caught Out There.” By the time her sophomore album Wanderland was due, it made a greater impact internationally than it did stateside. Could the U.K. be where Kelis re-establishes herself?

#1 BREAK-UP TO MAKE-UP

Now that Nas and Kelis are trying to annul their marriage, let’s look at the brighter side: they still have to deal with each other because of the baby. While we’re at it, let’s not forget that Nas and Kelis have also made beautiful music together. Ok, maybe it didn’t pop like Jay and Beyoncé’s, but we’re still rooting for them.

The Evolution of Ciara’s Fantasy Rides

Ciara’s Fantasy Ride: Deluxe Edition

“Do You Wanna Ride?” is a pretty rhetorical question if asked by an r&b singer torn from the same satin cloth as Adina Howard. Just do it. We’ll admit, Adina’s “Freak Like Me” braggadocio is a hard f-ing act to follow, but you see, Ciara is an illusionist of sorts—she’s less explicit with words, but her actions speak volumes. Enter her pivotal third album, Fantasy Ride.

Apart from Ciara’s impeccable track record of fast-paced hits that would motivate even the biggest loser (word to NBC’s fatties), her music videos are the real meat and potatoes. They in and of themselves make enough sense (and dollars, of course) for Jive Records to sling a deluxe edition of Fantasy Ride complete with bonus tracks, three videos, and making-of segments. On this album, we’re introduced to Ciara’s more assertive side, under the “Super C” namesake. We’re not mad at the marketing behind it, even if it’s brought to life in an 8-page digital booklet designed by DC Comics’ Bernard Chang. But let’s face it: the world doesn’t need another alter-ego, super-ego, [cough] Sasha Fierce. We get it, especially from the ATL sex kitten’s ten great moments we’ve gathered that really do the dirty south justice. Just keep your arms, and hands by your side…

#10 CIARA F/ YOUNG JEEZY “NEVER EVER”

The song itself is a little dry, almost on the adult-contemporary tip, but the video sells us on C’s reach to more mature audiences. And when we say mature, we don’t mean the split in front of the pole either. Ciara’s come along way from the girl whose goodies did most of the talking in 2004 (that, and dating Bow Wow). Five years in the game, and we’re still listening.

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