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Kandi Koated Saint?

Posted by :Peauxetic Expressions On : February 25, 2013
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Category: Music Monday

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Kandi 7

Many people know Kandi as a cast member on the popular reality show, Real Housewives of Atlanta. Other than watching the show a few times, I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of it. But I have been a  fan of Kandi for quite some time through her original claim to fame, the R & B group Xscape. I believe that Xscape is underrated in terms of their style and contribution to music in the 90s and in general. Their 1995 CD, Off the Hook is still one of my favorite R & B CDs. At the height of the group’s career, songs like “Do You Want To?” and “Who Can I Run To?” ruled the radio airwaves. And then there’s her songwriting skills. Ironically, the biggest songs she’s ever written (TLC’s “No Scrubs” and Destiny’s Child’s “Bills, Bills, Bills”) went on to be massive hits for other girl groups. Now she has delved into her own line of sex toys and an online talk show called “Kandi Koated Nights”. And if that wasn’t enough, she’s also teamed up with Bravo for her own version of American Idol called “The Kandi Factory”. Needless to say, she’s got a great business sense about her and is able to maintain multiple streams of income.

But what happens when another one of her projects just comes off as….well, another business venture? Kandi recently released her first gospel single, featuring Marvin Sapp, called “Stay Prayed Up”. The song itself isn’t bad but Kandi’s voice isn’t well suited to gospel to me. Certain genres have certain voices that fit perfectly. Her unique, raspy is honestly a forced fit gospel music in my opinion, but it works perfectly for R & B, or even Rock music. And then there’s the obvious……I’m no saint by any means, but isn’t it just a little strange to fully receive a gospel song from the same woman who has her own line of sex toys and a racy online talk show? Just a thought. But then again, this could make her more relatable to fans. The lyrics here are very powerful (I have to give her credit for that), but is that part really so surprising? Something about Marvin Sapp and Kandi’s voice don’t seem to mesh well here though. But again, it was a smart business move to feature him on the song.

Do you think Kandi has gone too far by releasing “Stay Prayed Up”? Is she really sharing her testimony to inspire others are is this just another lucrative business venture for her? Will you be buying this song or better yet a full gospel album from Kandi (if she releases one)? What do you think of the song itself?

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The Kardashian Theory

Posted by :Peauxetic Expressions On : February 22, 2013
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Category: Foresight Friday

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Kim Kardashian

“My girl a superstar all from her home movie”.  Can you guess who said this quote? If you think it’s Kanye West, then you guessed right. It’s a line from his popular song, “Clique”. This may have gone unnoticed by those who are flight by night fans, but one thing is for sure: he more than likely was talking about his pregnant girlfriend, Kim Kardashian. Is it just me or is this a jacked up thing to say about your girlfriend? But let him tell it, she’s the girls of his dreams….SMH.  And in the rare event that you don’t know, Kim Kardashian virtually became an overnight sensation right around the time she became an online sexual video sensation with R & B singer Ray J.  But this isn’t about leaked sex tapes or disrespectful shouts in a rap song. It isn’t even about high-profile celebrity romances. What it is about though is how we praise people for foolishness.

In a world where keeping up with the Jones-es has turned to keeping up with the Kardashians (and everyone like them), is there any room for, well…..real role models? Don’t get me wrong, I indulge in my share of mindless entertainment at times too. But let’s call a spade a spade here. Kim Kardashian may be beautiful, fashion conscious and financially savvy (by way of rapper singer/football star relationships), but a role model? I’ve heard a lot of people say that she’s a great role model, but I just don’t get it. Again, there’s nothing wrong with entertainment but we’ve reached a sad day when a cast member of the Real Housewives or any other reality TV show is the face of young girls to look up to. But this isn’t just limited to women because men also tend to look up to others who aren’t that great of role models either (ahem…Mr. West).

The funny thing is we often give young people a hard time for the people they choose to look up to. But how can we expect them to choose better examples to follow when we ourselves are not always good examples and the entertainment people they look up to are even worse? Kinda makes you think, doesn’t it? The people we love on the TV screen may be intriguing, hilarious or even down to earth, but that doesn’t always mean they are the best food for our minds.

Who do you think is a good role model now in the entertainment industry? Should the responsibility be placed more on the individual than the entertainer?

role model

 

T-Boz: Still A Champ

Posted by :Peauxetic Expressions On : January 28, 2013
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Category: Music Monday

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T-Boz Champ

As T-Boz’s reality show, “Totally T-Boz”, came to a close last Tuesday, January 18th, she announced a very special release that she’s been working on. It’s her new song, “Champion”. It’s a step in the direction of launching her own solo career (while balancing upcoming TLC obligations) that she so anxiously wants. I’m not sure if now is the best time for her to embark on a solo career, but she definitely has one heck of a resume. Despite the fact that TLC hasn’t released a CD in 2002′s 3D, they are still one of the best-selling female groups (and groups period) of all time, with over 65 million records sold worldwide. Plus, with her beating the odds once again with her brain tumor recovery, she has at the very least proven that she has a compelling story to tell. Nevertheless, I’m excited about the new TLC music coming soon and the possibility of T-Boz’s own records.

In an era where meaningful lyrics seem to have been tossed out the window, “Champion” not only has an inspiring message but is also helping fund research for such diseases as sickle-cell anemia, lupus and leukemia. Not some, but all proceeds will go towards finding a cure for these diseases. I’m not too fond of the production here and it sounds a bit unfinished, but I like the melody, lyrics and T-Boz’s signature scratchy tone here. If there’s anyone who can sing a song like this and really have lived it and mean it, it’s T-Boz. You can help be a champion by downloading the single on iTunes and contributing to important disease research.

What do you think of  ”Champion”? Is T-Boz better solo or should she stick with TLC?

T-Boz Champ 2

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