B.o.B’s album ‘B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray’ was released on April 27th, and after listening to it a few times, I have to say I was slightly disappointed after hearing rave reviews about the album. It’s a good album, I just wasn’t blown away by it. It is growing on me though. Top tracks would have to include ‘Nothin’ On You’, ‘Don’t Let Me Fall’, and I quite like ‘Airplanes (Part II)’ which features Hayley Williams and a couple nice verses from rapper Eminem.

Bruno Mars, whose real name is actually Peter Hernandez, has also released his first EP ‘It’s Better If You Dont’ Understand’ which has four tracks, released on May 11th. I’d definitely recommend getting your hands on this one. If you liked him on B.o.B’s ‘Nothin On You’ or Travie McCoy’s ‘Billionaire’, I think you’ll like him here. If this is any indication of things to come, Bruno Mars is not going to be some one-hit wonder.

The people that brought SUPAFEST to Australia are now bringing Winterbeatz 2010, featuring Ne-Yo, T-Pain, Big Boi and Fatman Scoop, supported by DJ Nino Brown and Aussie duo Phinesse.

Tickets are on sale now through Ticketek. Ticket prices are: VIP GA Standing $249 (!!), GA Standing $159, Gold $129, Silver $99.

New and notable tracks
Kanye West and Kid Cudi, two of my favourite artists, have new tracks, and they’re both HOT. After the departure from his usual style on ’808s and Heartbreak’, Kanye is back on his rap game with ‘Power’ featuring Dwele. With a mean drum beat and almost tribal background vocals, it sounds like the Kanye we know and love is back.

Cudi’s new track is called ‘All Talk’, which features Chip Tha Ripper and Christian Bale. Yes, the Batman Christian Bale. The track opens with Christian Bale’s rant at one of his colleagues on the set of the new Terminator movie. I don’t know what relevance it has to the song, but you can check out the full transcript and audio here. Watch your ears, somebody definitely got out of bed on the wrong side.

Here are some more tracks to round out the post:

There are a few other songs that have made it to mainstream radio already that I like, Chiddy Bang – The Opposite of Adults (such a clever song title), Drake – Find Your Love, and Ne-Yo – Beautiful Monster. A bit random, but I like this song too.

This is Travis McCoy (of Gym Class Heroes fame) and his first solo track, ‘Billionaire’, featuring Bruno Mars. As a friend said, Bruno Mars is a talent, and I definitely want to hear more of his music. He also featured on B.o.B’s ‘Nothin’ On You’ from a few posts back. They’re both great tracks, so I’m thinking his wish just might come true. As a side note, B.o.B’s album ‘The Adventures of Bobby Ray’ is due to be released on T.I.’s Grand Hustle label on April 27th. Preview some of the tracks on his myspace page.

Speaking of T.I., another of my favourite artists, he’s coming back strong after his stint in jail, featuring on Jamie Foxx’s new track ‘Winner’, alongside Justin Timberlake. “You know you lookin at a winner”… Right click > Save to check out this one.

Another interesting project I’ll be keeping an eye out for is the collaboration album ‘Distant Relatives’ by rapper Nas and Damien Marley, the youngest son of Bob Marley. The album, scheduled for a May 18th release, will focus on Africa and their common ancestry. Proceeds of the album will fund a project in Africa. Hit PLAY to check out the first single, ‘As We Enter’ on The Hype Machine.

Here are some other nice tracks:

There’s been a few new Usher tracks leaked recently, his new album Raymond VS Raymond should be out very soon.

Random finds:

I came across this Android blog, Android Bakery, but the most interesting post I read was actually about this guy’s father, who worked for the US Government during the Cold War on projects including the ARPANET, the predecessor to our modern-day internet. What a story you could tell your kids, that their grandfather played a role in the development of the internet! But who knows how it will evolve over the next 5, 10 or 20 years…

Finally, some videos to round out this post. Enjoy!

So for a bit over a month now, I’ve been the proud owner of an Android-powered HTC Magic.

The Android Market definitely has some catching up to do when compared to the iPhone AppStore, but there are some pretty good free apps out there, and the ability to install non-market apps (without hacking) is a bonus too. Due to the ‘open’ nature of the Android system, you do have to sort through some crappy apps to find the good ones, but I thought I’d save you some trouble and do a quick round-up of my essential (and free) Android apps at the moment. Check out the links to their associated websites, or Android Tapp pages, all with QR Codes for easy downloading. Get your barcode scanner ready!

Killer App: Nav Launcher – Once installed, this app will prompt you to download a modified version of Google Maps which enables Google Maps Navigation outside of the US. You will need to allow installation of non-Market apps in your Application Settings, and also a file explorer such as EStrongs File Explorer to complete the installation. The actual Nav Launcher app merely provides a quick-start menu to Google Maps Navigation.

The modified version of Google Maps does have some reduced functionality; the street name of the upcoming turn is missing, and voice prompts are often delayed or missing. However, the GPS tracking, maps and written directions are accurate enough to make this a must have app.

If at the end of the day you don’t quite like the apps that you’ve installed, check out Uninstaller, which allows you to quickly see the applications installed, the version, and the size. Apps can be searched via the live search box, and they can be uninstalled in just two taps, rather than digging through the Applications Settings or going through the Android Market.

Their latest mixtape is called ‘The Indio Sessions: Day One’, and is an amalgamation of urban and electro-pop sounds. Most of the music I listen to is either RnB/hiphop, Top 40′s, with only the occasional foray into other music genres. In saying that, there are quite a few artists on this mixtape I’ve never even heard of, but the way it’s been put together make it a great mixtape and definitely one worth checking out. Remixes of Daft Punk’s ‘Harder Better Faster Stronger’ never seem to get old – check out Track 16 by Deadmau5.

Download the mixtape on The Kickdrums myspace page. While you’re at it, check out their Things Don’t Change Mixtape – it’s a must have!

Music

This one isn’t so new, but I can’t get enough of it at the moment. It’s Kid Cudi’s ‘Dat New New’. Hit the PLAY button to listen.

]]> http://phatsoluble.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/the-kickdrums-are-awesome/feed/ 0 phatsoluble The Kickdrums - The Indio Sessions: Day One The Indio Sessions: Day One - Tracklist http://phatsoluble.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/a-new-favourite/ http://phatsoluble.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/a-new-favourite/#comments Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:46:17 +0000 phatsoluble http://phatsoluble.wordpress.com/?p=46 ]]>

Heard this song on the radio this morning, and thanks to Shazam, it’s my new favourite song. It’s B.o.B. – Nothin on You.

More music

• Lil Jon – Give It All You Got (Feat. Kee & Tinchy Stryder) [Right click > Save as]
• Fabolous – For The Money (Feat. Nicki Minaj) – Explicit lyrics! [Right click > Save as]
• Lupe Fiasco – Kick Push ((Pretty) Girls & Lasers Remix) [Link to site with download link]
• Kidz In The Hall – Take Over The World (Feat. Just Blaze & Colin Munroe) [Link to Facebook Page with download link]

]]> http://phatsoluble.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/a-new-favourite/feed/ 0 phatsoluble B.o.B. - Nothin on You http://phatsoluble.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/before-the-gaga/ http://phatsoluble.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/before-the-gaga/#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:44:03 +0000 phatsoluble http://phatsoluble.wordpress.com/?p=28 ]]> Stefani Germonatta. Does the name ring a bell? Probably not, because the name ‘Lady Gaga’ rolls off the tongue a whole lot easier. Check this clip of Lady Gaga on the piano before she became famous. It gets good at about 3:30.

New Music

• Taio Cruz – Break Your Heart (Remix)(Feat. Ludacris)
• Jaicko – Fast Forward – another artist from Barbados, this one might be the next Iyaz – Replay.
• 2 Pistols – Redonkulous (Feat. Jason DeRulo) – Yes, they made a song called Redonkulous. “Bottom’s got an apple in it”, can you guess what it’s about?
• Charice – Pyramid (Feat. Iyaz) – a Filipino artist
• Raheem DeVaughn – The Greatness (Feat. Wale) [Right click > Save as] – this one has an old school sound, I think it will grow on me.
• 88-Keys – Wake Up Call (Feat. Colin Munroe) [Right click > Save as] – Colin Munroe really is an artist who should be getting more exposure.
• Ryan Leslie – Here She Comes Again [Right click > Save as]
• Chingy – Be My Girl (Feat. Bobby Valentino) [Right click > Save as] – Chingy is still pumpin out those hits at age 29! It’s been 7 years since ‘Right Thurr’ hit the charts.

I could keep going but I’m tired. Maybe I’ll do a round-up of some Android apps next blog =p Enjoy!

]]> http://phatsoluble.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/before-the-gaga/feed/ 0 phatsoluble http://phatsoluble.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/first-post/ http://phatsoluble.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/first-post/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:39:42 +0000 phatsoluble http://phatsoluble.wordpress.com/?p=12 ]]> I’m a big fan of hip-hop, rap and r&b music, and hip-hop culture in general. A lot of the artists I listen to ‘sample’ the work of other artists to create a catchy hook and to create a new sound. So this is my attempt to sample and share the new music, videos and other interesting things that I find.

First up is a mini-movie made by Kanye West called “We Were Once A Fairytale”, and of course, it’s about himself. I came across this a couple months ago, but never got around to writing up a blog to put it in. So here it is.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Synopsis: Kanye gets drunk. Kanye has sex. Kanye projectile vomits. Kanye pulls Master Splinter from his stomach. Master Splinter sees Kanye. Master Splinter commits suicide. The END.

Strange, but interesting nonetheless. Apparently the Master Splinter-looking dude is meant to be a demon which has possessed Kanye through his lifestyle… or something along those lines. I’m pretty sure Kanye is aware of his massive ego, but I’m still a fan

New Music

Videos
The Making of Jay-Z’s ‘Hard Knock Life’ – Taken from Kanye West’s blog

I can’t get over this video, Ryan Leslie is amazing. I’ve only heard some of his music, but this video just shows how much skill the man has. This is the making of ‘Addiction’. I love 4:15 onwards… so cool.

I’ll try not to make the next post so long =p. I hope you enjoyed my first post!