SNL | YOLO,Sopranos Diaries, Catfish: The Tv Show, & Much More!

I’ll admit, last week I wasn’t feeling Saturday Night Live. The episode just wasn’t really that funny and I’m not a huge fan of Jennifer Lawrence;comedy doesn’t seem to be her forte. But despite a let down last week, I’m glad to say this week’s episode of SNL was hilarious!!!

Adam Levine was the host this week and the musical guest was the amazing Kendrick Lamar. I’m a fan, especially of his track ”Swimming Pools” and I was glad that he performed it. Oh and he performed “Poetic Justice,” which basically samples my favorite Janet Jackson song, “Anytime Anyplace.”

From the cold opening to the digital short, YOLO, the entire episode was filled with huge LOL moments. But hands down, the Soprano Diaries and the YOLO Digital Short were the best! Kendrick Lamar even took some time out and spit some bars in the YOLO skit featuring Lonely Island and Adam Levine. The skit basically took Drake’s famous saying, You Only Live Once (YOLO) and turned it into a hilarious mashup of all the things that can kill you, so You Ought to Look Out. Trust me, it is pure comedy! 

The other skit that I found super funny was the Soprano Diaries. Man, I couldn’t stop laughing even if I tried. I watched it over and over again (thank God for DVR) and I just love how they put the Soprano characters into an 80s high school setting. Too funny for words!!!! So, yeah, you should go watch that clip now!

The episode contained a few other hilarious skits, and I personally thought Catfish: The TV Show skit was pretty funny. It does seem like somehow it ends up always being about Nev, the host, and the reactions are always so confusing prior to the commercial breaks. 

More Clips from the Show

Kendrick Lamar Performances

90s/00s | Missing the Days of Pure R&B

Whenever I’m in a relationship I tend to find myself listening to more R&B and Neo-Soul. My love for those genres goes beyond having someone or not, but it’s often hard to listen to that music when I’m single. I begin feeling down because I’m a) reflecting on my past or b) daydreaming of what it would feel like to fall in love again. So in order to avoid the affliction, I avoid listening to R&B when I’m single.

But, I’m not single right now, so listening to my collection of 90s and early 2000s music doesn’t bring forth tears. It just makes me reflect on my current relationship and the possibilities of what could be. It’s amazing when you can notice yourself becoming intertwined in someone’s life, and you take time out of your day to remember those little things that make them who they are.

There is  such a purity that accompanies getting to know someone, and that purity is something you used to hear in R&B.

A few days ago I tried listening to some of the R&B that has come out in the past few weeks, and nothing really caught my attention. It just all kind of sounds the same. Sex. Swag. Pleasure. Forgiveness. Moving on. I can do better. Pretty little body. Those are just a few of the things that instantly come to mind when I listen to a lot of the songs that hit the radio and the Web. There is nothing original. That purity that I love & cherish, is just continuously fading away.

I honestly can’t even think of any artists on the scene right now that just bring forth such a purity that is reminiscent of the 90s music I’ve come to love so much. Okay, I take that back. Usher is still doing his thing on the scene, and his song “Climax” is such an emotionally driven track that sort of infuses that 90s style with a new school approach (i.e. the slight electronic beat.) But he isn’t a new artist, he’s been around since the 90s and he’s one of those 90s R&B artists that I love. So when it comes to new cats on the scene, yeah, nobody comes to mind at the moment. I mean, I do adore Romeo Santos, but half the time he sings in Spanish and I honestly just love him because a) he’s a cutie and b) his voice is pretty nice, even though I don’t know Spanish.

Perhaps I’m just stubborn, because I’m just going to keep being nostalgic and craving my 90s/2000s R&B. It’s just so pure to me, and it’s the music I grew up on. Some songs will never die for me, and I’ll keep listening to them over & over again. The music from the 90s and early 2000s are truly timeless tracks that can be remixed with some dubstep beat or covered by a new artist using autotune.

You’ve just got to let the 90s R&B remain pure. Don’t touch it, just embrace it. Like folks always say, if it ain’t broken then don’t fix it. 90s R&B isn’t broken, so don’t fix it….just let it speak to your soul. Teach the next generation the true meaning of R&B. It’s more than just laying a girl down and getting the business, it’s about the beauty of emotion infused with remnants of making love, not just sexing to be sexing. SMH, that right there is totally another blog post in itself.

Below are my favorite tracks I been listening to as of late. Mainly 90s/2000s songs that I’ve been in love with for over a decade. Good music!

Ruff Endz- “Someone To Love” (my favorite!)

Janet Jackson- “Anytime, Anyplace” (Janet surely knows how to sing about sex, and it doesn’t feel trashy like some of the stuff out today)

Jagged Edge- “I Gotta Be”

Aaliyah- “One In A Million” (missing her so much. Her music was so pure, so real, so beautiful!)

Maxwell- “This Woman’s Work”

Tyrese- “Lately”

Monica- “Angel of Mine”

Blackstreet- “Before I Let You Go”

Usher- “U Got It Bad”

Ginuwine- “Differences”

D’Angelo- “Untitled” (He sings about sex, but he still makes it oh so pure. Damn….such a good song!)

©Jasmine McGee.ThinkSoul25. http://thinksoul25.com

Throwback Jams | Friday R&B Session

Lately I’ve found myself listening to a lot of 90s R&B. For quite some time I was on this hiatus with R&B and love songs, but I can’t just stop listening to good music (especially if it’s from the 90s.) The 90s had some of the best R&B songs and on Friday’s I like to just listening to nothing else but 90s music. Well, I still listen to house but I mainly have nostalgic Fridays.

The sounds of the 80s and 90s propel forward throughout my day, and today I’m enjoying a nice selection of R&B songs from the early 90s. So here are a few of the songs I’ve been listening to today.

I used to sing the lyrics to this song when I was about 9 years old, and my mom would always tell me to stop singing it because it was a song for “adults.” Haha, well now I’m an adult and hell yeah I’m gonna recite the lyrics!

Next – “Too Close”

R. Kelly – “She’s Got That Vibe”

I love this song! I’m a huge fan of Jagged Edge, but “Gotta Be”  was always a song I really was feeling. I’ve got a lot of good memories rushing to my head when I think about this song. I been in love once, and I would listen to this song all the time. Of course we weren’t going to get married or anything, but I felt so madly in love.

Blackstreet – “Before I Let You Go”

Aw man! This used to be the joint! So many great passionate goodbye kisses on this song….

People always talk about “Poison” but Bell Biv Devoe had some other great songs too, even though Poison is my favorite.

Will Smith ft. DJ Jazzy Jeff – “I’m Looking For the One”

Tony Toni Tone – “Lets Get Down”

Guy – “Wanna Get With You”

Aaron Hall – “Don’t Be Afraid”

Janet – “Together Again”

Omg, my friends and I used to do all the dance steps to this video! We’d have slumber parties and would perform a choreographed dance to this song just for fun. Ah, those were the days.

Man, you’ve got to admit thought that Aaliyah was one of the best singers during the 90s and early 2000. I used to think that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was everything I wanted to be. As a little girl (age 12) my friends and I used to always gossip about how much we loved her and when we were 21 we wanted to look like Aaliyah. It’s so tragic that she died at such a young age. Even though she is no longer here, she will always be the most beautiful woman and talented singer in my opinion.

One In a Million

Are You That Somebody

©Jasmine McGee.ThinkSoul25. http://thinksoul25.com

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Janet Jackson “Would You Mind” & J*DaVeY “Queen of Wonderland”

Apparently the awesome avant-garde R&B duo J*Davey came out with a new music video a few days ago and I’m just hearing about it now. I tell you, I been sleeping on R&B lately. It’s been all about house music and dance for me, as well as the usual dosages of hip-hop here and there. But when it comes to R&B, eh….some of the stuff just doesn’t vibe with me. I’m big on old school 90s R&B songs, but I also love a good sexy track. For instance, a lot of Janet Jackson’s earlier tracks will literally blow your mind. I’m a huge Janet Jackson fan for lifetime and love everything she has ever done. But my favorites are “Anytime, Anyplace,” “Would You Mind,” and “Got Til It’s Gone.”

I was watching live footage of “Would You Mind” on Youtube the other day and was cracking up. Men actually were going crazy when Janet Jackson would touch them. I love “Would You Mind” and it’s sex appeal quality, not to mention the vibe is insane. That track is bound to drive anyone crazy; which explains why the men on stage are screaming. You know what? I’m not even going to sit here and talk about it, just watch for yourself.

Oh, but before I finish writing I do have one more thing to say. Yeah, J*Davey’s new song “Queen of Wonderland” is pretty awesome! I like a lot of their music, so the new project sounds quite promising; so be sure to check the video out! Also, if you’re up for it, watch “Would You Mind” live. It’s will leave you speechless seeing the way men react. She has performed it a few times on her tours, so different men each tour are strapped down and teased by Janet. Yeah, it’s something else!

This Black guy is going out of control! Haha so funny to watch, but I feel like I’m peeping into an intimate moment that doesn’t need to be broadcast to the world. But seriously, the faces  he makes are hilarious!  Then he is like screaming “Thank you God!” Haha, it’s priceless!

Janet Jackson – Would You Mind (Live on All For You Tour) HQ

J*Davey – ‘Queen of Wonderland’ (Exclusive)

©Jasmine McGee.ThinkSoul25. http://thinksoul25.com

Missing My Red Dell… =(

Sorry I haven’t been blogging much lately, been so caught up with all this school work and on top of that I have to take 3 spanish classes to graduate in Spring 2012. I love a challenge though, so I’m looking forward to what comes next. Oh yea, my laptop broke as well! So I’ve been using my dad’s laptop during the day and knocking out all this homework. My red dell Inspiron keyboard went out and my motherboard is having some issues, luckily dell is going to send me new a one since my laptop is only 6 months old. 

I miss my computer so much though! As a English Major, a freelance writer, and an author, my computer is my bread and butter. I can’t go a day without having my laptop or writing some form of language down. Even if it’s jibberish, at least I’m writing something. The thing that sucks is the fact I had a lot of information on there and I only saved my writing on a flash drive. Yet I went to this really cool local computer guy and he saved all my information on a back up hard drive and is working with dell to get me a new laptop. So until then guys, not much blogging go on. I don’t have any raw editorials on anything going on in society right now. My prayers go out to those in Japan and there hasn’t been anything in pop culture that a thousand other people aren’t talking about.

So for now, I’m just going to do what I do best and post music and things I find interesting. I’m trying to finish this book, so I will hopefully have it finished within the next few weeks and then begin the editing process! I will keep you guys posted and thank you so much for continueing to read my blog and support ThinkSoul25!

This song is my ringtone and one of my favorite songs! I love 90′s Janet Jackson and Q-Tip…so pure and soulful!

NDL:Erasing the Stigma

A mythical warrior, a revolutionary military leader, an inscription on a lonely coin, those annoying symbols on a map, and a significant human being that has triumphed and left a stamp on our world. The dictionary contains a myriad of definitions for the word “legend”. Throughout my life I have been surrounded by legendary individuals, not including the remarkable people my family members have encountered.

Rosa Parks, NBA legend Ralph Simpson, original Tuskegee Airmen Clarence Shivers, Janet Jackson, BB King, Albert King, Earth Wind and Fire, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Al Green, Phylicia Rashad, Michael Singletaire, Paul Abdul, Debbie Allen, Dick Gregory, Nate Fitzgerald (my uncle, who is a jazz legend), and Denzel Washington are just a few of the countless legends that have graced my family circle. Legends are alive and well in our society, but they often remain low key. Even though there stamp on the world may be brilliant, they are the same as every day people…more down to earth then you would presume.

Legends are birthed,they have a starting place but no end.A coffin placed in a grave can’t defy the achievements of a legend, the tradition that a legend leaves behind is truly immortal. Napoleon Da Legend isn’t just a fancy stage name or an attention getter to promote cd sells. There is an essence behind every name and Napoleon Da Legend embraced his rap name with precision.

A few questions had been picking at away at me since I first had the pleasure of working with NDL. I was curious why he chose the name “Napoleon Da Legend”, in his opinion what defines a legend, and lastly I wanted to know what made him unique as a rapper. Instead of replying with scattered logic, NDL provided me with deliberate answers, the type of answers that a scholar would deem lecture worthy.

One of the first reasons why Napoleon Da legend chose that name, was due to the historical connotation that is stirred up when people hear “Napoleon”. NDL did his historical research when choosing the name and understood that “Napoleon coming from a very modest background rose to the peak of power in an exemplary way. He didn’t do it because of his family name, money, or the connections in an aristocratic world.”

That history about Napoleon Bonaparte is true, but one that is often overseen in history classes and scholarly opinions of him. NDL understands that the military leader Napoleon came from a humble and modest background, but in his rise to power he ditched morality. Napoleon Bonaparte’s negative portrayal, is an aspect of history that rapper Napoleon Da Legend wants to erase. In response to this tyrant connotation with the name, Napoleon said in reference to Napoleon Bonaparte, that “In his rise to power, he used cruel and dehumanizing methods to keep and expand it. That negative part associated with his name, I want to attempt to erase.”

You’d think that Napoleon Da Legend’s rap name is mainly associated with Napoleon Bonaparte, but it is also a part of NDL’s ancestry. Napoleon Da Legend was born in Comoros, a country that is located off the eastern coast of Africa. He describes it as one of the countries with the most “coup d’état”. That French phrase basically translates into insurrections, which is the process of power being overthrown by force, even to the extent of mercenaries killing the president and putting someone else in power.

Coming from such a volatile country, field with mercenaries and political tensions, NDL’s parent’s moved to America to achieve the “American Dream”. In the final part of my interview, Napoleon Da Legend went to great length to share his heart. “I earn to conquer the airwaves and repeat that history (in reference to Napoleon Bonaparte), but I want to rewrite the bad parts, because I am not HIM, I stand for my own values.”

He continued explaining his own personal relationship with the legend and it’s relationship with his parents. “Also my parents came from one of the poorest countries in the world, the Comoros in East Africa. Them making it to the US and giving me this great opportunity to attain the American dream is legendary in itself. So the legend also comes from my ancestry. African slaves colonized by the Arabs and then the French.” –NDL

Napoleon Da Legend is on the way to become a true legendary individual, not only because it’s a significant part of his name, but also due to his incandescent musicianship. From the poorest shanty shacks of Comoros to the sleek luxurious walls of a DC recording studio. From the eating a bowl of poverty to tasting the delights of legendary musical fame amongst hip-hop’s international superstars, Napoleon Da Legend stands…

Napoleon Da Legend- Pen and Pad (Ruff Kut Videoz)

©Jasmine McGee

ThinkSoul25

http://thinksoul25.com