"The Hangover

"The Hangover" is the comedy of the year. I had the opportunity of watching the film at my school, the University of Alabama, provided by the fine people at University Programs. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it until the very ending, and it provided laugh after laugh. The genius of the humor was in the dialogue more so than slap stick, though there was more than enough laughs for people falling here and there. Particularly Alan.



The plot of the movie is fairly basic. Let me set it up for you.

Meet our main man, Doug Billings played by Justin Bartha, on the eve of getting married to fiancee,Tracy Garner played by Sasha Barrese,goes to Vegas for bachelor party. Doug Billings brings along a few friends, Phil Wenneck, played by Bradley Cooper, who is a school teacher disenchanted with his life and looking to get away, Stu Price, played by Ed Helms a comedian you may remember from "Half Baked" and portrayed as a spineless dentist, and Alan Garner played by Zach Galifianakis, a rising comedian that serves as an oddball for the entire film.

The film moves relatively fast getting into the plot almost immediately at the opening of the film. It runs roughly an hour and a half. The quadrant of characters in this story set out on a night in Vegas and wake not remembering anything that happened the night before. The villa they rented at Caesar's Palace is nearly dismantled, girls leave, a tiger has made its new home in the bathroom and a chicken squawking around amongst other things. Oh yea, and there's an estranged baby also lying in a cupboard.

Upon noticing that Doug is missing the remaining three characters go on a treasure hunt around Vegas looking for Doug that takes them on the ride of their lives. There old school collectible vehicle has been replaced with a police squad car that they don't recall how they got. They end up somehow getting this police squad car, and rather than doing time in jail, a concoction of pleas to the police and lies to Tracy lead to more time, and kids being able to use the triad of characters for practice dummies for a stun gun. A dramatic rivalry occurs between Alan and one kid that leads to a hilarious showdown.

After a previous encounter with his cronies, the three characters end up running into Mr Chow,played by Ken Jeong. Mr Chow is trapped in the trunk of the car after getting Doug's car from the impound. Mr Chow hops out of the trunk naked and begins to pound Stu, Alan and Phil with a crow bar. Alan tries to plea with him to no avail.It is later discovered that Phil kidnapped Mr Chow to be his lucky charm.

The three amigos continue on in their pursuit of finding their missing comrade connecting clue after clue and using their contacts to get the information they need. They realize that Phil is wearing a medical bracelet and get some clues from a doctor. The doctor mentions that they came from the Big Little Wedding Chapel before and once visiting the chapel they realize that Stu got married the night before to a woman named Jade. Once given this information, Stu looks for his new wife, finds her and returns her missing baby. Jade, played by Heather Graham, is the wife/ escort/ stripper that Stu ended up marrying. He notices that he gives his Holocaust ring to Jade that he planned to give to his prospective wife, Melissa, played by Rachel Harris and begins to panic wondering how he will get it back. Even still the film moves forward with Stu in angst.

The three have an encounter with Mike Tyson that explains the tiger resting in the villa bathroom, which leads to a funnier scene of Stu getting knocked out cold by Tyson to the tunes of Phil Collins, and the trio drugging the tiger with roofies and trying to transport it back to Mike Tyson's lair. As you may have guessed the tiger awakes on the trip to Tyson's mansion and the crew is forced to abandon driving the car and push it.

Mike Tyson has footage of what transpired on that night before via his security cameras. The footage shows how they stole the tiger which helps them get a better time frame as to when Doug went missing. The three then have another encounter with Mr Chow and his henchmen, who seem to find Alan falling all over the place funny merely because he is fat, and claim that they have Doug for ransom for the 80k they won the night before at the casino. The trio are given until the next day to come up with 80k. It turns out that Alan is a guru at counting cards and wins the ransom money. They take it to the desert to do the deal and once they give the money to Mr Chow in exchange for Doug they realize that they made the transfer for the wrong Doug. The Doug they get is a drug dealer played by Mike Epps. At their wits end, the trio are fresh out of ideas. Phil begins to make the call to Tracy to tell her the truth about what happened to her husband in Vegas, when it hits Stu like an epiphany.

The trio end up finding Doug in the most generic of places after putting clues together that they failed to acknowledge at the very outset. The find Doug exhausted, dehydrated and very tan and even in this state almost kills Phil because of him nearly missing his wedding. The four hop in the car and head back to their destination, get tuxedos from a moving van provided by Alan, and make it in time for the wedding. In the end, they become true friends, find a camera with pictures on it that detail their experience that they lost in memory, but vow to erase the pictures after looking at them only once. And to boot, Stu establishes a true connection with Jade, even though she soon realizes it was a mistake and returns his ring. Stu proceeds to break off the abusive relationship with Melissa at the reception and all ends well for our cast of characters after a trial of adversity.

The film is funny and leaves you feeling hope for any bad situation and a sense of perseverance. You become optimistic that even with the worst of situations if you keep working for a solution and go through a little pain and suffering you will undoubtedly come out victorious.

Kid Cudi "Man on the Moon:The End of Day"

It may very well be that Kid Cudi is a musical genius and may not have even realized it. He displays all his talents as a musician thru his latest work, "Man on the Moon: The End of Day".

Kid Cudi is not great at anything but good at a lot of things. I wouldn't say his vocal ability as a singer is great, though Jay-Z did utilize his vocal abilities on Blueprint 3. And Cudi won't wow you lyrically, but will keep you engaged to what he is talking about long enough to make a good record. Cudi's album, "Man on the Moon:The End of Day" has a cinematic theme, portraying our protagonist as Kid Cudi fighting "The Terrors" and reality. The listener is taken on a journey, narrated by Common, where Kid Cudi tries to battle the ills of reality of society with a little help from a psychedelic substance.

Track 1- In My Dreams
The Intro "In My Dreams" welcomes the listener to a new world-the world of Kid Cudi. The album begins in a somber tone with an intro that invites you into the dreams of Kid Cudi, thus the title. The track is melodic and slow, with a very basic beat that utilizes some orchestra elements. Cudi sings throughout the track, and though it is semi-monotonous you sense this album is going to have a dark undertone. However, you sense you are being hypnotized into a different state and Common hammers it home with spoken word. The track is well composed, well thought out and thorough.

Track 2-"Soundtrack 2 My Life"
"Soundtrack 2 My Life" is of a bit more upbeat tone, and begins to explain the intricacies of Scott Mescudi.

"I've got some issues that nobody can see/ And all of the emotions are pouring out of me/ I'm bring them to the light for you, it's only right/ This is the soundtrack 2 my life/"

Kid Cudi gets really personal in this record incorporating his childhood, his friends(or lack thereof), his life as an entertainer, the pitfalls of it and implies a sad connotation to it. Cudi seems like a loner, and revels in it. He is not asking for help. He is merely given the fact that he has some issues coping having gone through what he has in his life. He has haters, girl problems, money issues, and deals with substance abuse to some extent, but again accepts all his problems in stride-in fact they are all responsible to the soundtrack of his life. It is evident that Cudi was not well-liked as a youngster and still has people hating him now that he has become an entertainer. In this record, he wants a normal life, but knows that he can't get it because of his own choices. He doesn't complain, he just presents the story of his life in a song.

Track 3- "Simple As"

The album gets a big picker upper in "Simple As". The track itself incorporates a sample and is upbeat, and Cudi sets out to exemplify that he is trying to "eliminate the hate, spread the positive". I feel like this track would have been better off as a mixtape track, but Cudi uses this track as a means to an end. It transitions well in the album, providing a high before it gets into the darker part of the album. Cudi tries to explain that is simple to be normal, but couldn't settle for that. He always strives to be different. The best part of the track comes in when Common makes his interlude to the "Rise of the Night Terrors".

Track 4- "Solo Dolo" (Nightmare)

This track is EPIC. Slow and very dark, providing a loop in the backdrop and some very loopy and eerie sounds that represent the track of Cudi being "solo dolo". If you were to imagine what a nightmare sounds like, this song would fit that description.This song is the very epitome of being a loner. Cudi begins the song by stating that "he has nobody". This track seems to be what Cudi is striving for in this entire album. He is best by himself and in his lonesome. The track is a beautiful compilation of sounds taken straight from a horror scene and Cudi accompanies it with a great vocal composition. He is rapping is merely a spectacle of him relishing in his lonesome. He knows he should be more engaging of the people around him and isn't and chooses not to. The track seems to building and going somewhere but isn't. It merely is playing tricks with your mind. Cudi keeps you listening and positioned in the same spot throughout the entire track, as you suspect the track is coming upon something bigger but it doesn't. It is very slow, melodic, and anti-climatic, in true Kid Cudi fashion. It's for lack of a better word, brilliant. Musically sound and unparalleled creativity in the composition of this track.

See here:




Track 5- "Heart of a Lion"

This track is a fan favorite. The track is more upbeat and after nearly lulling you to sleep our hero arises with a "Heart of a Lion".Kid Cudi shows his versatility in this track, both singing and rapping. And uses various ranges of his voice to provide accompaniment to his hooks. The bottom register seems to be a juxtaposition of the top register and helps you feel the battle going on within the mind of Kid Cudi. One is yelling, "No,no,no", while the other interjects, "Yea".This track features a light piano accompaniment and an upbeat bass line, and is a song that speaks of super heroic proportions. Again, Cudi brings orchestra elements in this track to provide the backdrop to the song that he will never be broken or beaten. It seems as if our hero has finally powered up and will remain triumphant.



Track 6- "My World" (feat. Billy Cravens)
I personally think this is the best track on the record. Kid Cudi puts it all on the line again. He talks about his progression from a loser to the big time, and how he foresaw it happening the entire time. He told people it would happen even when they doubted. The track is very simplistic, and Kid Cudi isn't trying heavy on punchlines or wordplay. He is monotonous in his approach and talks about how he worked dead end jobs, and kept hustling until he got his desired goal. People thought he was crazy and doubted him but Cudi pursued on.

"I was heavy, heavy, heavy on my grizzle/ And none of y'all really cared about me"

Kid Cudi is self-made for the most part and attributes his success to his steady belief in himself to be success. Again Cudi sings with reckless abandon, disregarding critics and the fact that he is not a trained singer. However, the listener is forced to appreciate it because it flows and makes sense in the record. And you can sense that it is overall genuine. People can relate to Cudder because there are a lot of people that feel like they are a loner, and engage in extracurricular smoking.



Track 7-"Day N'Nite"
This is Kid Cudi's first single from the album, "The Man on the Moon: The End of Day" and this is the song that introduced Cudi to the mainstream market. It has an upbeat melodic feeling that everyone can move to, but oddly enough, the track is about a loner that finds solace in smoking. Kid Cudi stays true to the theme but disguises it with an upbeat track.It is funny, because my five yr old nephew knows every word to this song, but doesn't even know what it's about. Again Cudi is a creative genius,making a somber song sound as if it was a sing-a-long for a Barney episode. It's so easy to pick up on, that kids can even understand it and sing along, without even realizing the content.

Track 8-"Sky Might Fall"
"Sky Might Fall" is a mixtape track co-written by Kanye West his predecessor and mentor and also the person who signed him to G.O.O.D.Music after working in the BAPE Store in Cleveland. The song is pretty straightforward. Cudi simply does not care.

"The sky might fall/ But I'm not worried at all"

Cudi is not worried about tomorrow, but is making the most of today-a mantra we all can subscribe to. Kanye's influence is evident in Cudi's rhyming style but the record is good even after the mileage on mixtapes and otherwise heavy influencing from outside sources. The creative process still at work.

Track 9- "Enter Galactic"
"Enter Galactic" is probably Kid Cudi's first and only love song on the album, asking his significant other to go on a journey with him and yes, you guessed it, this journey happens to be marijuana-induced. Cudi takes you on an upbeat trip into the outer world. The track bounces with energy and a catchy, melodic hook that anyone can appreciate. The song resonates of a runway feel, and can be categorized as pop on a musical spectrum. Kid Cudi does say some powerful things in this track where you may not expect it, but you almost can't take him seriously with the beat, and the over the top punch lines. At some points he doesn't even rhyme- something only Kid Cudi can pull off in this track.

" It is easy to imagine/ But easier to just do/ Because if you can't do what you imagine/ Than what is imagination to you?"

However, this is trumped by referring a woman's reproductive organs to be wet like a towelette. Not very smoove Rico Suave?

Again Common comes into the picture and gives us the backdrop for the next track as our hero gets caught in his own psychedelic state. He gets "trapped in his own sanctuary". The listener follows on in the story at the mercy of Kid Cudi.

Track 10- Alive (feat. Ratatat)
"Alive" is again another great composition where the electric guitar is featured and a plethora of sounds that makes you feel as if you are in the middle of a tornado. Kid Cudi having now experienced love hopes that his significant other can handle his ways. This song can be interpreted to have sexual implications, but it doesn't make any allusions to sex. Actually it doesn't allude to any female accompaniment. The sounds in this track come from everywhere and anywhere hitting you in the face from all angles. Kid Cudi operates in the night. He is guided by the light,and this track is another example of why Kid Cudi cannot be boxed into any particular genre. This track identifies with semblances of rock, hip hop, trance, and others. Kid Cudi proves again why he is a musical chameleon and why his music appeals to so many different demographics.

Track 11- Cudi Zone
Great song. All I can say is "In my mind, it sounds like wooooo!" This is the mind of an artist. Kid Cudi expresses his feelings of being under the influence. In his "zone" he feels alright, and all the problems are gone. The track again is upbeat, and follows Kid Cudi into the beyond. Cudi sings the hook, and accompanies that with rapping that disses his critics and those that do not like his style. He forgets about it all and does what he likes. The sounds of this song has a bridge that is very futuristic and you don't know where everything is coming from, only for Kid Cudi to come back in and bridge it all together. Kid Cudi puts everything together. His voice completes the song. Without it, the song lacks a certain embodying element that identifies with true Kid Cudi fashion.



Track 12-"Make Her Say" (feat. Common and Kanye West)

Kid Cudi rarely uses features and especially features of the stature of Kanye West and Common, but this track seems to miss the mark with the rest of the album. It has a real pop tune to it, and does not fit in with the entirety of the album. All of a sudden you transfer from the loner, to the playboy lover, making light of sex,and a Katy Perry sample. It is apparent that Kid Cudi needed this song to appeal to the masses again, and this song helps build Cudi's credibility as a major artist by bringing along some top tier talent along for the ride. I can understand the need for this track on the album but I do feel it disrupts the flow of the album, and doesn't resonate with who/what Kid Cudi stands for as an artist in this album. The record itself is very fun nonetheless.

Track 13- "Pursuit of Happyness"
Again, Cudi comes out of the woodworks with a song we can relate to and brings Ratatat along for the ride yet again. The song is heavy on the piano, brings in the electric guitar in stretches to accompany the piano, and incorporates a choir and a
free flowing drum pattern that simply falls in line with the rest of the accompaniment however it fits. However, this record is the feel good song of the fall. Cudi produces a track that embodies the struggle, and mentions how he is on the pursuit of happiness, and how he'll be fine once he gets it. A great record, with futuristic elements an engaging choir melody, and a bridge that features light singing and a heavy electric guitar that brings the song to life. If you can't sing along to this you aren't alive. For anyone that may be experiencing a hard time, this song will not only lift your spirits but give you a new outlook on life. Hell it has become my motto for 2009 and beyond. The ending trails off with Cudi sounding like he had a rough night of drinking and smoking, but the damage has already been done. We are all on the pursuit of happiness and sometimes we need a little something to get us there. In Kid Cudi's case, it seems to be alcohol and weed. However, just like the movie, this song is encouraging, insightful, and otherwise a positive, feel good, picker upper.



Track 14- "Hyyerr" (feat Chip the Ripper)
This song is a perfect follow up to "Pursuit of Happyness". An ode to all the smokers, Cudi brings along Cleveland comrade Chip the Ripper to make a record with a classic track, that feels nice and slow. This song reminds you that though Kid Cudi can't be classified into a specific genre he still has blues and funk roots, and has a southern influence. This song is nice and slow with a heavy baseline, and has southernplayacadillistic written all over it. The song rides well, feels well, and gives even dope boys something to ride to as well. Or at least gangsters that partake in marijuana consumption.

Track 15- "Up up and away"
Kid Cudi brings in guitars everywhere to provide a nearly fitting conclusion to a somber album. After a pretty decrepit album, the last track on the album is chipper and upbeat. It is a slap in the face to the critics again and saying how he doesn't care about what critics say so whatever. I mean, they're gonna judge him anyway so why worry about what they think? It is evident that Kid Cudi is going to be who is regardless of what people think of him. He'll be up up and away. Common provides the outro ending by stating that is never the end, and that this record is only a continuation of more greatness to come from our hero Kid Cudi.

Overall, I would advise listener to not go into Kid Cudi's project expecting anything because you won't get anything you expected. Whether you're a fan of hip hop or rock, it is a hodgepodge of everything and the music itself is unclassifiable. Cudi bridges the gap of all genres. It is a feat that only Kid Cudi can accomplish leaving critics scratching their head as to what to say about his music. It is a challenge to try and understand Cudi's musical influences or identify his sound to someone else's merely because Kid Cudi is genuinely unique in what he does which is hard to say about many artists these days. Cudi offers an entirely new perspective that is missing in music today.

"The Man on the Moon:The End of Day" is a masterpiece in my estimation and unlike anything I have heard up to this point in my life, and for that I give Kid Cudi four stars, two thumbs up and a congratulations on a job well done. This project will be talked about for a long time, and it will be interesting to see how he rebounds from this album with Cudder Music, his latest project, already in the works, and a series of promising videos yet to be displayed from this album.

Trey Songz, "READY"

It's very rare that I am left speechless.

But Trey Songz has wow'ed me not only with his work on his album "READY", but on his prior mix tape,"Anticipation". They both are classic records in my estimation and have material that people are going to be talking about for a long time.

The maturation of Trey Songz as an artist is amazing. He has developed into one of the leaders of R&B if not the front runner at this point and time. I was traveling with a close friend of mine, and she thought that the track, "Neighbors Know My Name", was a R Kelly song. And she has good reason to think that way. Trey Songz may have his differences with the R&B legend, but his music clearly displays his influences.


Track 1-"Panty Dropper"
The record begins with "Panty Dropper", and establishes the mood of the entire album at that point. Songz enters with a bang. You know what you are getting Trey Songz is not as interested in the concept of love in this album as much as he is in "making love". The album is set out to produce babies, and love making across the country. It resonates from the roots of old school R&B where Songz is not covert and blatantly honest about his intentions. However, the great thing about it all is that he is not vulgar and obscene. Panty Dropper is more of an introduction than an actual song. It is only a 1:26 long, but has the listener wishing the song would continue on. It is the perfect tease to the rest of the album.

"I want to make love to you/This right here's a panty dropper/ This is my panty droppin' love song nothing but your heels on/ Lovin' you/ This right here's a baby maker/ And we'll be making babies tonite"


Track 2-"Neighbors Know My Name"
Trey Songz follows up the intro with a classic song, "Neighbors Know My Name". This song is one of the best on the album. The song features great writing and a classic composition that incorporates a sound of someone beating against the wall in the actual beat. The song is pretty self explanatory. Due to the commotion caused by love making, the neighbors should know Trey's name. This in turn should force some disturbance to the neighbors and they would in turn knock on the wall to tell them to cut it out. My boring t description downplays how beautiful the song really is as to not give it away, but you get the point. Trey Songz displays his vocal capabilities in this song, and the song itself is catchy and forces you to smile. It is amazing how Songz can take an experience like the neighbors knowing his name due to sex and make a song out of it.

Check it out here:



Track 3-"Invented Sex" (feat. Drake)
Converted from a mixtape track, "Invented Sex" is a track that brings along a familiar friend-Drake. The track is mediocre at best and though the concept is cool, the track itself is boring. Even Drake can't revive the life of this song with a dull hook, and a track that doesn't really show Trey's vocal capabilities either. Probably the worst track on the record, likely because it has been in rotation for awhile, and no one knows what to do with it to bring it to life.

Track 4- "I Need a Girl"
The first single off the album is "I Need a Girl". This song caught on very fast at BET and MTV, with a bridge that calls out to "every girl in every little city" to shout out to him. Only to be expected, this song is tailored to the ladies. Trey Songz tries to attract his female base by saying that "he needs a girl" and really, what girl wouldn't want to date Trey Songz. The song was accompanied by a very beautiful video, setting Trey in some exotic island chasing a love interest that seems to be eluding him. All that considered the song flows well and is a great song to listen to. It has crossover potential and brings in all listeners not just those interested in R&B.



Track 5-"One Love"
"One Love" is a song for the lovers. Again Trey falls nothing short of amazing in this song. He invests all his lyrical and vocal talent in this song. It's a great track, with guitars everywhere and a very subtle drum line.

"You are all I need and I'll never let go"

Do I need to say much more? Trey Songz has compiled the song for every couple in America with this track.


Track 6- "Does He Do It"
In almost a juxtaposition to the previous track, "Does he Do It" is a break up song that asks his ex-significant other if her new lover does the same things he does. Many people can relate. When you lose a significant other, you always wonder whether the next guy/girl does the same things you do or better. Trey asks a series of questions that forces his ex to remember the things they used to do. The song is very lively for it to be a break up song. It differs other songs because Trey doesn't seem bitter or upset, but clearly tries to resonate thoughts of their previous love life. It seems as if the song will make her come back to Trey. It's a very nice song. The song moves well, with no real bridge or slow points. The song is feels very good even with the nature of the content of the song.

Track 7- "Say Ahh"
An anthem for the club scene, Say Ahh brings upon a cast of characters, both producer Yonny and Fabolous. The song has great energy and provides an interesting concept to convince ladies to drink(as if they really needed help),have a good time that would ultimately result in them being taken to Trey Songz/ Fabulous home. The track sounds like it is taken out the book of Swizz Beats, and Fabolous provides a very nice feature with nice wordplay and a few quick and fitting punchlines such as:

"I play a little doctor/ All I prescribe is cranberry and vodka/ Then you call your girl like what the hell he gave me/ She like you betta do like Jamie/ And blame it on the liquor". Nifty huh?

Songz presents the song in more a songwriter/rapping style. Not much singing per se, but good lyrics.

"Tryin' get you homer/ Would you be Marge Simpson?" is pretty much the gist of the song.

This song is very catchy easy to dance to and nice to listen to. It's the triple threat. So for all that enjoy this song, cheers and drink up. Tilt your head back and just"Say ahhhh".


Track 8- LOL : ) (featuring Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy)
The record only gets more playful with the insertion of "LOL :)" featuring Soulja Boy and Gucci Mane. Produced by Tony Scales, this song is for a younger fan base, with a heavy snare, constant clap and whimsical lyrics. However, the content is still true to the album, with the mentioning of sexual behaviour used in the electronic realms of Twitter and the internet. This song sounds like it should be on an episode of Barney, but yet has a sense of style too. Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy come along for the ride as well, but are victims of Trey Songz slaughtering the track on the very first verse. They are very nice features to help boast Songz' street credibility within the industry, but this is far from what Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy produce on a regular basis. This is an opportunity for Gucci to step outside of gangster rap and open up avenues in features for artists like Trey Songz and recently Mariah Carey. He does well but not amazing. Soulja Boy seems to be the perfect feature on this track as he is able to relate to the younger crowd more so than a Gucci Mane or Trey Songz, but he contributes very little to the record when he does have something to say, even with the breakdown of the drums in the background to help accent his verse. Soulja Boy still falters, and it is evident that he still has steps to make to be a competent emcee. This song nonetheless is radio friendly, otherwise clean outside of the blatant references to sex, and has an immense amount of energy that will get anyone moving their feet. I for see this song getting a pretty nice buzz that may even produce a video considering the names on the track. Trey has very little features on the album so it's good to hear someone outside of Songz on records like this one.

For your listening enjoyment:


Track 9- "Ready to Make Luv"
The transition point of the album comes at "Ready to Make Luv". A slow, love ballad, Trey Songz incorporates snare drums and an orchestra of instruments to prepare the listener for the slower part of the album. Beautiful is an understatement to describe this interlude, concluding with him repeating that he's ready. Again, the listener will be disappointed to learn that this track is only a 1:21, as it builds into something you hope to become a love ballad, but is simply a means to an end. Again, Trey is probably best at creating cliffhangers that lead into the next song.


Track 10- "Jupiter Love"
Ready to Make Luv prepares you for "Super Duper Jupiter Love". This song is DANGEROUS! It will undoubtedly produces babies. It's very soultry and the ballad that we all knew Trey Songz was capable of. He absolutely takes this song to another level. It is very slow, and great to listen to. It is a ballad of epic proportions. This track is enough to buy the album alone.



Just when I thought the whole futuristic, space age concept was becoming old and jaded, Trey Songz is able to make it his own and make it become something alluring. Thank you Trey.

Track 11- "Be Where You Are"
Again, I have to mention that the maturation of Trey Songz is impressive. "Be Where You Are" is a pop record by all stretch of the imagination. Edrick Miles produces a track that seems created for the quintessential Beverly Hills female shopping on Rodeo Dr. It has a pop feel to it and Trey Songz reminds you of Babyface as he serenades the track wondering where his love interest and how he wishes he were there. This song will undoubtedly tie another genre of listeners into his fan base. Trey Songz seems to be all about progression in this album and this album does so gracefully and with ease. The transition is easy and the album flows very nicely even with the incorporation of this track in a setting of songs that were primarily slower and had more of a ballad feel to it. This song doesn't cause ruin the pace of the album nor does it cause a lack of transition. It's a nice track, produces a nice feel and you don't even notice that this song follows a ballad and actually precedes another one. It's almost the perfect medium.


Track 12-"Black Roses"
Okay, my first real criticism of Trey Songz comes in "Black Roses". Songz again goes for a pop/soft rock feel in this song. It is a break up song, but you don't feel bad nor do you sense that he is angry or sad. It's a break up song that is really emotionless. Songz wants to deliver "black roses" and the song has great lyricism, but unless you truly listen to the song, you won't discover that it's a break up song. It moves really well and does not sound like a break up or R&B song. "Does He Do It" was okay, because it pertained to physically missing someone and asking if someone missed the other in a physical capacity which is okay. However, "Black Roses" is the tale of a love dying and Trey having to break it off, but you don't sense that it is either hard or a bad thing. The song itself perturbs me. I cannot understand where the song is coming from, and think it fails to fulfill its goal of being a legitimate break up song.

Track 13- "Love Lost"
Where Black Roses falls short, "Love Lost" more than makes up for it. This song has heartbreak written all over it and poses the question, "What do you do when love is lost?". It's a great song and you feel the pain. Trey shows off his vocal ability and the track by Edrick Miles brings back thoughts of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature". Trey Songz voice pours over this song beautiful. A classic song and as a listener and critic you can only hope this song gets incorporated into a soundtrack very soon. This song embodies the classic, dramatic Hollywood break up that is captured on screen and penetrates the ears down to the very base of your soul. Great song.

Track 14-"Hollalude"
Simply put an interlude to the next song, "Holla if Ya Need Me". It's a very good interlude but again, you always wish that the interlude would be an actual song.

Track 15-"Holla If Ya Need Me"
This is my personal favorite track on the record. The track itself is engaging and incorporates Trey's voice in falsetto in the backdrop. The track is very simplistic but flows nicely and everything seems to be well calculated and perfect. The drums are perfect, and just enough keys and guitar that provide the perfect backdrop for Trey to shine as an artist. This is another song that can be felt. Trey says that even though that the two aren't together anymore, she can still holla at him if she needs him. It is a very nice track and I think many people can relate to a love lost that you still can have a functioning friendship with or hoping that the relationship can rebound one day. It is well done in just about every aspect and a perfect way to wind down toward the end of the record.


Track 16- Yo Side of the Bed


This track was also on Trey's mix tape "Anticipation", and this comes from an Aerosmith/Prince background. You can hear the strong influences in the heavy guitar riffs and 80s sound drums. "Yo Side of the Bed" is another heartfelt song about a love being lost. It is in songs where Trey is able to show what he can do vocally is where he shines the most. This song portrays the best of Songz. He carries the record vocally and the guitars are an excellent accompaniment to his voice. The support him and even have their own solo that make the song an amazing record. It is the perfect soft rock song that Prince and Aerosmith would be proud of. Trey has shown his maturation of musical influences in this album and only looks to get better. He fails to be trapped in any box or genre and this song is a prime example.
See for yourself:



For the bonus tracks you can buy the album at Amazon or iTunes.

Cedrick Alexander - Profile Summary on BrightFuse - A Talent Community

Cedrick Alexander - Profile Summary on BrightFuse - A Talent Community

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The Collector

The writers of Saw are extremely talented and the story concept of this movie has potential to be one of the scariest movies ever constructed. Once I heard about the concept of this movie, I got excited. It has a lot of potential to be a classic. Think about it. A man enters a house to steal from the residents of the home when he finds that the resident family is beginning to be tortured, and set up to be tortured furthermore. What will the thief do? Try and save them or get killed? Will the villain be revealed and express why he is doing this to them? Is there some type of alternate story or subplot? Is the villain a family member? The film raises many questions.

However, for me, "The Collector" missed the mark on many levels. After leaving the movie, my girlfriend did not know exactly how she felt about the movie, but said that the scariest part of the movie was, of all things, the music. And she probably was right. The sounds and music of the movie established a really scary canvas for the plot to unveil. However, when constructing a movie, I'm not sure if you want people to leave saying,"Well, at least the music was really scary."



The story portrays a shady man in a bad position, looking to rob a family of their jewel, that will relieve him of his financial and familial problems. He deals with some shady characters and it is not understood why he is under all this unwanted pressure for, but the mother of child acts very standoffish towards him and only asks him for money. The plot is very bare. You find out very little about the family, the villain or the thief, and are forced to watch the movie wondering why is all this taking place, and who are these characters? Some people don't care, but personally, I would have liked to see the connection between the characters in the film, yes, even the demented torturous murderer.

Once the thief enters the home he plans to rob and begins to try and navigate his way to steal the jewel, he realizes that he is not the only one in the house and that the house is set up to provide torture to the resident family. Therefore, thief becomes hero in a matter of seconds and the thief chooses to try and help the family and save who he can.

The story lends itself to a lot of suspense, however, the shooting of the movie was very confusing and dark, and therefore detracted from the suspense. On numerous occasions during the movie, I was perturbed as to what was going on. Once activated, the traps are so fast, you don't truly understand what took place, but see the end result, which more times than not is the gruesome and painful death of one of the family members. There are instances when you are wondering how this was set up, what occurred and how the girl ends up nailed to a wall, pulled by a contraption of levers, pulleys and string.

The movie moves fairly quickly, and probably the most engaging parts of the movie are unfortunately the beginning and the ending. The rest of the movie is fairly predictable.

The villain's character is well portrayed. You can tell that he is deformed, and the eyes of the villain can send chills down your spine. Not to mention, the villain is incredibly smart-almost unbelievably smart. In one scene, the thief and the youngest member of the family escape into a room, and set up a trap to electrocute the villain. The villain somehow sees the ambush coming, throws a dead body into the water that has a electric current and continues to pursue the two. How the villain knew that they would push over the fish tank and throw a tv into the water to try and electrocute him is mind-boggling to me especially in the heat of an extravagant chase. He has almost superhuman strength, knocking out the man, almost at will. Without giving away too much of the movie, it is safe to say that the villain eventually gets what he wants minus the younger member of the family.

Out of five stars, I give the movie, two. The movie's intent is to scare you and to provide suspense at the expense of a well-developed plot or characters. The shooting of the movie is dark, the norm for a horror film, but so dark that it disorients the audience. Good try, but the movie industry,especially the writers of Saw, need to understand that scary movies have advanced and therefore their audience is more sophisticated. A few cheap scare tactics and gory scenes will no longer cut it Hollywood.

Cedtv's Critique of Jeremih's self-entitled debut album

First of all, it is important to note that it is pronounced, Jere-MY, not Jere-MIAH, or Jere-ME. I took note of this first hand at Birthday Bash 14, when Jeremih corrected the emcee about the pronounciation of his name in a walk thru of his performance. However, in that same warm up precession, it was evident that Jeremih had an engaging sex appeal with the females in the arena at the time. One of my cohorts was tempted to run to the stage to embrace the recording artist, but opted to retain her job instead.

The 21-year-old R&B sensation hailing from Chicago, IL was impressive to me with his performance of "Birthday Sex" at Birthday Bash 14, which he performed on the keys himself. Jeremih is very talented, with the ability to write and compose his own songs, sing them, and play an array of instruments varying from the piano to the guitar. Jeremih's self-entitled album debuted with much acclaim after the recent unveiling of his hit single, "Birthday Sex" which was accompanied with almost perfect timing of a sexy, edgy video that has been in steady rotation amongst the BET and MTV stations and their affiliates.

"Birthday Sex" is by far the best track on the entire record, though it is accompanied by other songs that are very good. However, "Birthday Sex" is a misnomer to the collective album as a whole. Tracks such as "That Body" and "Runway" stray away from the form of "Birthday Sex". I will say that I was personally caught off guard by how much pop influence was involved in the album. It is evident that Jeremih wants to reach out to a pop audience as well, and not be forced into a R&B box. "Jumpin'" would not make DefJam executive Jay-Z very happy, as Jeremih abuses the use of autotune in this track, and needless to say doesn't improve the quality of the song. His audience will have to be able to stomach Jeremih for a few tracks with some of Jeremih's risks musically, or be utterly disappointed by his failed attempts to be musically progressive and think outside the box. These tracks disorient the flow of the album, and the album lacks identity and consistency. Fortunately for Jeremih, his musical risks do not ruin the entire album or take too much from the album that would force you to stop listening. I await the "Birthday Sex" remix, and the alternate versions to follow the original.

"Birthday Sex"''s appeal draws a resemblance to songs produced by current stars like The-Dream and Ne-Yo and has a new-age R&B feel to it. Jeremih's vocal abilities are not those of Usher or Ne-Yo, but he utilizes repetition well and his voice has a soothing tone that makes him a pleasure to listen to. "My Ride" is a song driven toward the car loving population, but has a nice energy to it,which makes it great to listen to. Jeremih flaunts his ability to write in this song, versus sing, applying not vocal range or variety, but carries the track with adequate wordplay and creativity. The same can be said about "Hatin' On Me", and "Everywhere weare".

"Starting All Over"proves itself to be a really nice feel good song. The composition of the track is upbeat and melodic and resonates a soulful feel to it. "Raindrops" and "Buh Bye" are the only tracks that comes close to what "Starting All Over" is able to accomplish. With that being said, the three songs, (and Birthday Sex) alone are enough to encourage you to spend the money to buy the album.

"My Sunshine" is Jeremih's best ballad on the album, but that's not saying much to what Jeremih is able to accomplish lyrically and vocally. It is well-composed and is a nice change of pace to the rest of the album, however, does not have much to offer vocally. Jeremih elects not to try to "wow" you with his vocals, but moreso his words, and the technique in which he presents those words. It is very pleasant to listen to nonetheless.

I particularly like that Jeremih is audience friendly, and the material in his album is listener friendly. Though Jeremih may make innuendoes to sexual activity, the language of the album is fairly clean. Jeremih keeps his age dynamic open with his ability to make good music that people from all walks of life can listen to. Jeremih is an up and coming star in the music industry and I look forward to his progression as an artist. I think given opportunities to collaborate with other R&B artists or emcees, Jeremih will solidify himself as one of the new up-and-comers in R&B, if he chooses to. I am still unsure whether Jeremih wants to be pop, or R&B, or try to establish himself in both genres, but he surely has made strides as an R&B artist. Granted a steady progression, Jeremih will be the next mover and shaker in R&B.

Jeremih has made a fan out of me, and I am giving this album 7 out of 10 stars.