Drizzy Drake - "Take Care"

            Every time I browse a media site Drake is getting bad press. Either someone is dissing him for his dress code, the way he spits game to the ladies or his latest album "Take Care" released on November 15, 2011. Well every since I purchased the album, which was the day of release, I've been listening to it non stop. Honestly I have yet to switch albums on my ipod. In my opinion, any bad press he's received in regard to the album is due to a personal dislike of Drake the person because each track gives off something amazing. 

           Quite a few of the articles I've read about the album tend to discuss the fact that it appears to be more R&B then hip hop & to each their own opinion but I'd have to disagree. I believe the album is in fact hip hop, just not typical. It's different. In a good way though. Each track has a vibe to it that allows you to listen without getting annoyed and aggravated by all the yelling & loud banging. Its mellow but rugged at the same time & I, for one, can certainly appreciate that. 

          Originally Drake's album was leaked so the critiques begin long before the actual release date. The buzz was that the album sales would suffer due to the leak but according to Nielsen SoundScan the "Take Care" sold 631,000 copies in its first week! 

         The album features some of the top artist in the industry including members of his YMCMB family  Lil Wayne & Nicki Minaj as well as MMG's Rick Ross. There is also a track featuring my favorite girl Rihanna entitled "Take Care". That song is a bit different & less hip hop but I love it. I have yet to chose my favorite track because I play the album from top to bottom without skipping a track. I may repeat "Make Me Proud", "Underground Kings", "Over My Dead Body" "Crew Love" "Look What You've Done" "Cameras, Good Ones Go" "We'll Be fine" & "Doing It Wrong" though. As you can see I just named half the album! 

        So, in closing, despite the Versace shirts & the leaked (corny) text messages, I still support Drake and the album gets two thumbs up from me. If you have yet to purchase it I am here to tell you that you should! It's a great buy & worth every penny. 

Take Care.

Ace Hood "Blood Sweat & Tears"

Last night I attended a listening party in New York for Miami based artist Ace Hood, the first artist to be signed to DJ Khaled's We The Best label back in 2007. From what I heard, this latest LP, set to drop in just a few days, is a guaranteed banga! Every track was smash after smash and I'm not exaggerating. The album, entitled "Blood Sweat & Tears" is Ace Hood's third studio album but the first to tell his story. With every artist there is a story behind the music, behind the grind and with every track Ace is definitely taking you deeper and deeper into what it is he's had to endure, the life he lives, the struggles and why the grind has been so consistent. The first single off the album "Hustle Hard" has been going hard in the streets and on your radios for the past few months. I'm completely in love with the remix which features both Rick Ross & Lil Wayne! The second single off the album "Go and Get It" has been knocking hard in the streets too and though it hasn't been released yet, the remix is as official as a referee with a whistle! I got a chance to hear it yesterday at the listening party and let me be the first to say its guaranteed to blow minds! The features, their verses, I will leave it at that! The third single off the album is a song for us ladies entitled "Body 2 Body" ft. Chris Brown. Now that's my joint. Ace world premiered the video on 106 & Park yesterday and the response was amazing. The video is hot, it definitely had me feeling some kind of way after seeing it. If nothing else, he knows how to keep it sexy for the ladies! *excuse me while I fan myself* Lol.  I've been trying to decide all day on what my favorite song is but I love so many of them. Right now It's a tie between "Beautiful" & "Memory Lane", both tracks feat. Kevin Cossom and both tracks are amazing! Oh, & fellas, there is this track "Letter To My Ex's" that I'm sure you all will love. I can go on and on about every track on the album but I won't. I think you all are starting to get the picture. Ace has been slept on but the young man is bringing nothing but hits this go round. I believe every word in every song. Every track on the album has potential to be a hot single. I didn't hear a song that I didn't like. The features on the album are crazy. The lyrics are crazy. The beats is crazy! If you don't like this album you simply don't know good music. I support this guy! Take your time with the music and listen to the lyrics. Rather you hop on iTunes or run out to your nearest Best Buy or Target, this album is most definitely worth the purchase! Aug. 9th "Blood Sweat & Tears"! I've pre-order my copy, make sure you grab yours!




Check out some of the footage from the listening party!