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5 Reasons To Be Stuck Up

Posted by :Peauxetic Expressions On : December 28, 2012
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Category: Foresight Friday

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Donald Trump

To call anyone “stuck up” is usually an insult that implies the person is too prudish, full of themselves, rude or just downright have a nasty attitude. But have you ever sat back and thought about how many stuck up people in positions of authority are not respected? Not many. Don’t throw things at the computer screen (never damage your own property in anger…but that’s another blog, lol) just yet. There’s a method to my madness. Think about the most influential people you know…or better yet, let’s list some celebrities. Donald Trump is one of the wealthiest men in the public eye, but his attitude makes me want to slap him at times. But guess what? I love his show Celebrity Apprentice and people respect him because he commands respect. Even Lady Gaga…some of her lyrics, stage antics and costumes may be offensive, at the end of the day people have to respect her for being who she is with no restrictions.

Don’t get me wrong, no one should ever walk around with their nose in the air. That’s one quality I can’t stand in people. But I will say that it’s ok to have a little healthy dose of being stuck up. Here are the 5 reasons why…..

1. Respect

As stated above, to get respect you not only have to give it but command it of others. Easy going people (which I sometimes am guilty of) sometimes miss the mark because they may need a little more of a forceful presence to get their point across.

2. The Not So In Crowd

Believing that you are too good can sometimes keep you from being around the wrong crowd. People who are controlling and manipulative often prey on those that are more laid back. This in turn causes the other person to accept behaviors no one should have to put up with….all so they can say that they “fit in”…SMH.

3. I Believe In Me

People who are stuck up are usually not swayed by much regarding the opinions of others. Although this can be to their detriment in many cases, one thing is for sure: you won’t stop them from reaching their goals. There’s nothing more effective than a driven individual with goals than a stuck up driven individual with goals…..sad, but true.

4. Job Well Done

Since many stuck up people are full of pride, they are perfectionists to a fault. Again, no one wants to be friends with the stuck up person in the room…..but they get the job done…and well. A pinch (not a tablespoon) of pride in your work, appearance, and goals can go a long way when it comes to delivering results.

5. Power to Change

Oddly enough, many people who are viewed as “stuck up” have a knack for reaching the masses. They’re the people we often love to hate, but somehow find ourselves paying attention to. The real test is if the person listening to them is strong enough to sift through muddy waters. But if so, there could be some real value underneath that unsavory exterior.

We all know there are way more than 5 reasons to not be stuck up, but maybe there’s a little something we can take away from the people who are.

Do you agree or disagree?

IT Arrogance

 

Tamar Gets Her Life…And a No.1 Hit

Posted by :Peauxetic Expressions On : December 12, 2012
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Category: Music Monday

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-“Yes, I am in America. And yes, I am wanted. And it’s probably illegal to be this hot.” –Tamar Braxton

As cocky as it may sound, Tamar Braxton is about as hot and wanted in America as she’s ever been right now. Arguably the most vibrant star on The Braxton Family Values reality show, the woman who has made quotes like “get your life” and any phrase followed by “dot com” famous is finally stepping out of Toni Braxton’s shadow. Since the show first aired, she made no secret about the fact that she wanted to jump-start her own solo singing career. It’s no surprise that she can actually sing and she has badgered her husband Vince Herbert about not doing his part to help her (especially considering he’s Lady Gaga’s manager).

Now she has started her own spin-off show, Tamar and Vince, landed a spot on the upcoming VH1 Show Tiny Tonight, plus she’s the host of Centric’s new lifestyle show, CultureList. Oh yeah and then there’s the No.1 single she just released. Yep, her single “Love and War” reached No. 1 on several iTunes charts and No. 2 overall….just 1 day after its release.This is all with minimal promotion except for several Twitter plugs from Lady Gaga. One of which read, K I NEVER PROMOTE ARTISTS but if u want your mind blown check @tamarbraxtonher “Love & War” She’s Toni Braxton sister + her voice is BEYOND,” Considering Lady Gaga has over 31,000,000 “monsters” (what she calls her fans) following her, I’m sure this helped in a big way.

So what do I think of her first single “Love and War”? I was very pleasantly surprised and even impressed by some of her vocal runs. She almost sounds….dare I say it, better than Toni Braxton. The lyrics flow well with the melody on this track and the music isn’t overproduced. And more surprisingly, she’s not over-singing. I don’t know why I expected that before I heard the song. Wait….maybe it’s because of her exaggerated personality on TV, lol. But all jokes aside, she has definitely made a believer out of me as someone who wasn’t even interested in her solo material initially. But now, I’ll be on the lookout for it. What do you think of her and the new song? Her new CD (this is actually not her first solo release) is set to drop in February. Will you be buying? If the rest of the tracks sound like “Love and War”, I just might be….

Check out “Love and War” below,  if you haven’t already heard it

 

Are Brandy Fans Nodding Off?

Posted by :Peauxetic Expressions On : October 15, 2012
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Category: Music Monday

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A lot has changed in the music industry since Brandy’s last CD, Human, was released over 4 years ago. Gone are the days where you can ride a successful CD for 2 years and have multiple hit singles (that is unless you’re Adele, Rihanna or Lady Gaga). But that’s exactly what Brandy was used to with her first 2 (and most successful to date) albums, Brandy and Never Say Never. After several album release date push backs and a delayed music video for the Chris Brown assisted “Put It Down”, Two-Eleven is just hours away and ready to take on the world…well, almost. The CD is already on its second single, “Wildest Dreams”, which usually means 1 of 2 things….a saturated market of hit songs (think Nicki Minaj) or fishing for a hit to hype the CD release up. In Brandy’s case, I believe it’s more of the latter. But, as we all know, sales numbers don’t always equal quality.

Brandy has ditched her nasal tone for a sexier, lower register in the latter half of her career. Ironically, I like this Brandy a lot better than the hit making machine behind “The Boy Is Mine” and “I Wanna Be Down”. She had great singles back then, but I think CD’s like Aphrodisiac and Full Moon are more cohesive and conceptually grounded. As she preps for the official release of Two Eleven tomorrow (already available on iTunes today), something tells me this may be some of her best work yet.

One thing Brandy seems to be using as her secret weapon this go round is her image. Her CD cover alone is one of the best I’ve seen lately and she looks better than….well, she ever has. No word yet on whether or not she’ll be unleashing her “Brand Nu” alter rap ego again (it was first introduced on Timbaland’s Shock Value II project), but it sounds like she’s finally found her niche between R & B, Pop and Hip Hop. With the help of Timbaland, Frank Ocean and longtime collaborator Rodney Jerkins, it will be interesting to see what sounds she comes with.

Several of the CD’s tracks have already leaked, which could prove to be either hurtful or helpful to sales . Producer Bangledesh offers an addictive track on ‘Let Me Go”. Brandy’s vocals and the music here are on point, but the lyrics are somewhat corny to me. Then there’s the Rico Love produced “No Such Thing As Too Late” and “Paint This House”. On “No Such Thing As Too Late” she tells her lover that he’ll wait before moving to the bedroom if he really cares about her (think new age “Let’s Wait Awhile”). This time the production lacks a little (but fits the song’s concept), although Brandy’s voice is flawless. But “Paint This House” is the real showstopper of Ricco Love’s 2 tracks. I’ll just say she’d be shooting herself in the foot to not make this a single. “Nodding Off”, 1 of 4 bonus tracks on the Two-Eleven deluxe version, actually leaked in 2008. But it’s just as good now as it was then (check out a snippet of it in the video above).

Will you be buying Two-Eleven when it hits the shelves tomorrow, or passing it up?

God Forgives, Pop Music Doesn’t

Posted by :Peauxetic Expressions On : August 13, 2012
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Category: Uncategorized

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God Forgives, I Don’t. This is not a personal opinion or character trait of mine.  But this is the title of Rick Ross’s new CD. I’ve never been a big fan of his, but I must admit, I like a lot the music he’s done in the past couple years. I even downloaded his free mix tape, Rich Forever. But something about the title of his new CD just makes me not be able to go out and purchase it. I like a few of the songs on it, but does he really believe the mantra of the CD’s title? Don’t get me wrong. I probably couldn’t put my iPod on random in any setting and please everyone in the room. I like all types of music, and some isn’t as clean as it could or should be, but where is the line drawn?

During the first week of its release, God Forgives, I Don’t sold over 100,000 copies and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. Could this be partly attributed to pure talent, or pushing the envelope. But even take Madonna and Lady Gaga. Both artists (Lady Gaga more than likely following in the footsteps of Madonna) have pushed the image, interview, performance and sexual envelopes way past the normal acceptance mark. But has the element of shock value become the new norm? Rappers like Eminem were treading on somewhat unfamiliar territory with explicitly violent and disturbing lyrics that had everyone in a frenzy in the late 1990s. But now, would it have the same effect? Have we really just become desensitized over time. Even Nicki Minaj can probably feel less of the heat being directed at her, from not having to pave the way like artists before her did. When Lil Kim exploded on the music scene in 1996, she took music to a place it had never quite been before. But now we want more and more…..and thus artists like Nicki Minaj are created.

By no means is any of this a cut or slight at any current day artists that I have mentioned here. But it is facing the reality that many of the concepts artists are putting out are not necessarily new, they’re just multiplied to the next level. What people think is so taboo now fits for the time, but when will we see that we’re pushing things a little too far? The main goal I see in current popular music is to get you (the consumer) to buy it. No matter what it takes to get there, if we purchase it, the artist’s job is done. Even some of today’s gospel artists like Mary Mary, Kirk Franklin and Lecrae have somewhat capitalized on what the younger generations are listening to. “The God In Me” sounds just like Jamie Foxx’s massive hit “Blame It”, so the general public is already predisposed to liking it. It’s all about what will sell and what won’t.

What are your thoughts? Do you think popular music is unforgiving of certain morals, standards and values? Or are we too uptight and it’s just all in the name of good fun and entertainment? Does real artistry still exist and what percentage of it is the artist’s personal expression or a ploy for sales?