This Song Will Preach Too...Who Knew?- Toya

sha na na na, na na na na, sha na na na na

Autumn turns to winter and then winter turns to spring,
its not just a season to know its goes for everything.
clouds can turn to rain and then it just might snow
You gotta take lesson from mother nature and if you do you'll know.

[chorus]
Well its time to change
then its time to change
move by the time come along for the ride, dont you see
when its time to change you've got to rearrange
move your heart to what your gonnabe.
sha na na na na na na sha na na na na na

day by day its hard to see the changes you've been through
a little bit of living a little bit of growing all adds up to you
every boys a man inside
a girls a women too
and if you wanna reach your destiny its what you've got to do

[chorus]
Well its time to change
when its time to change
move by the time come along for the ride, dont you see
when its time to change you've got to rearrange
move your heart to what your gonna be.
sha na na na na na na na, sha na na na na na

[chorus]
Well its time to change
when its time to change you've got to rearrange
move your heart to what your gonna be.

I Wish You'd Drive (sung like Miley Cyrus' "The Climb")- Toya

I can almost see it
Couple miles from the exit, but
I’m stuck in this here traffic
Illegal textin’
Wondering ‘bout the hold up
Oh we’re moving now, hold up
And now you wanna get over
Pushing me towards the shoulder

But now, I gotta be strong
Cause flippin’ the bird is wrong

I'm always gonna be stuck in traffic
I'm gonna always want to make it move
Nashville drivers are something special
The use of turn signals, something moot
It doesn't matter who got pulled over
Why are fools rubber neckin' on 65???!!!!!!
I wish you’d driiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive...

*Kerri Hilson, don't go jackin'my lyrics. I have a lawyer*

This Song Right Here...

will preach. I woke up singing this this morning the day after having a rough conversation with my dad about how he sees my life as a pattern but I see it as a journey. Someone sent me this version of YouTube sensation Ahmir singing it and I burst into tears at my desk. It is indeed The Climb. And soon, it's about to be The Grind. Details coming soon...

Human Nature
or YES JOHN!!!!! - Tia

I'm sure you, like the rest of EARTH, have already seen this. But just in case you were in space last week, please observe why I would marry John Mayer where he stood if given the opportunity.

Gratuitous New Kids - Tia

This picture is old....I know. But THEY ARE STILL FINE!!! And this SOOOO brightened up my very dreary Sunday afternoon.

Dear Donnie Wahlberg,

I need you to stop playing and call your girl Candice and get my number.

Love,
Tia

Toya's Lazy Day Ramblings

1. Brandi Sellerz's "A Wonderful Day" is single handedly my favorite song right now so go check it out on her Myspace page at www.myspace.com/brandisellerz. Refreshing. Remember, we told you about Robin Thicke, Adele, Mat Kearney and Laura Izibor WAAAAAY back in the day. You don't want to sleep.

2. I seriously don't know what God has against us being comfortable. Maybe it's because He constantly wants to show us how big He is and the cool plans He has for us.  I am VERY uncomfortable right now. Nashville just seems so...small. I'm a little freaked out but pretty at peace with whatever is next...ok 80% at peace.

3. My hair is boring. I had big fabulous kinky curly hair for 9 years so this Business Casual Barbie haircut has got to go. Will be seeing my hairdresser tomorrow morning.

4. I had a heated debate on Facebook this week with some people that think Mary Mary's song "God In Me" sounds too much like "the world" to be an acceptable gospel song. Church folk make me tired sometimes. I find it very hypocritical that people will excuse a vulgar song that has lyrics that go against what they believe that the bible is against because the beat sounds tight but will not excuse a song that has Godly lyrics because it makes them want to dance. Please.  I was PISSED. Still am. I wholeheartedly believe that the church is partially to blame for BET and the state of urban music today because we have failed to encourage artists to use their gifts outside of the church walls. It really sickens me. 

5. So I have lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks and I feel pretty good. I wouldn't say I am a vegetarian but I gets down with vegetables way more now than ever and without having one salad to boot. God bless the day when I remembered that potatoes are vegetables. Say what you will but again, I lost 8 pounds. I am taking my first yoga class tomorrow. Here's to agility.

6. I need Anthony Hamilton and Ginuwine to do an intervention with Jamie Foxx and teach him how to make music appropriate for a grown man. 

7. So...Michael Jackson and I ARE NOT getting married? Still can't fully believe that. And how hot is he in those rehearsal clips??????? My baby... I miss him so.

8. Speaking of MJ, ever since he passed away (still can't say the D word) my favorite songs of his have changed immensely. For instance, another part of me is MY JAM. I am also loving Rock My World and I'll Be There. I danced my little heart out the morning after he died to Butterflies after I sat on the bed and cried for a bit. I guess that was my way of celebrating his life. I am not so sad anymore. Now thinking of him makes me smile.

I cannot tell you how many people have said that I was the first person they thought of when Michael Jackson di...still can't type it. I didn't know that people knew I loved him that much. I didn't even know to be honest. I just numbed myself the day of by watching TV which is probably why I didn't cry until the next day. By the way, Butterflies is now my favorite song ever. Put it on the books.

9. I have already put the HR department on my job on notice that if Stevie Wonder leaves here, I am calling out of work.

10. I am sitting outside typing this. I NEVER sit outside but it is too nice out to be inside. It's perfect. Almost like...LA. *Sigh* We'll see...

So EVERYONE is Mad - Tia

June 29, 2009

Dear Debra Lee,

Sunday night's BET Awards show was a disgrace. It's sad and unfortunate that your network, owned by Viacom, continues to crank out mediocrity and perpetuate negative stereotypes of black men, women, and children. Although you likely received high ratings for the awards show, there is no honor in reinforcing the status quo's opinion of black people. Your tribute to Michael Jackson and the overall show had its great moments, however, BET failed to deliver a solid, quality show. Rather than "raising the bar" and presenting African-Americans as a creative, proud, dignified people, BET lowered the bar for the entire world to see. The BET Awards drew a huge audience to watch a tribute to Michael Jackson, but left millions of viewers feeling disappointed, embarrassed, and reduced to classic stereotypes.

During the most blatantly sexist performances of the night, the executives at BET failed to act and display intelligence, courage, and leadership. Show executives watched, approved, and applauded as artists Lil' Wayne, Drake, and Cash Money brought young, under-aged girls onto the stage to dance and serve as window dressing while they performed "Every Girl," a song that reduces girls and women to sex objects. In a culture where one out of four girls and women are either raped or sexually assaulted - and where manipulative men routinely traffic vulnerable women into the sex industry - it is not okay that BET allowed this to happen. BET owes its entire audience - particularly girls and women around the world - an apology for its failure to intervene. BET should also take immediate steps to ensure that this kind of sexist performance does not happen again. Sunday night's show epitomizes why so many black people worldwide are fed up with BET and feel strongly that your network inaccurately represents black men and women.

Please take my letter and criticism as one that represents millions.

Sincerely,
Byron Hurt

www.bhurt.com

Also in Drake News - Tia

This will be the last of it. I promise.

So I finally got a chance to see the BET awards. Overall, it gets a fail from me. Michael would not be pleased. I'll keep my eye out for the real tribute.

And I finally got to see the end performance with Drake, Wheezy and the children. Yeah, where is DFCS when you need them? I was SCREAMING mad as I watched it. All I could think was whose children are those and where is yo' mamma at?!?!?!? But ALLEGEDLY, there is an explanation for why the junior high dance troop was on stage.

Word on the curb is that one of the little girls is Wayne's daughter. Apparently, when he went up to accept his award she was too far back in the auditorium to make it onstage with him. She was said to be inconsolable back stage for missing her opportunity to stand behind her father in front of thousands of people. (Or maybe she's smarter than we think. Maybe she was upset about not getting to go on stage because she knows her dad is NOT going to be winning too many awards outside of BET. This may have been her only shot....hmmm...moving on.) Wayne, being the father of the year, decided that to make it up to the girl he would let her "dance" with him during his performance to close the show. Her appearance was neither planned nor rehearsed.

Now this child being the Ride or Die chick she is didn't want to leave her girls out (they have some little group together called OMG) so she invited them to go on stage with her. How thoughtful...I'm sure their mothers were happy to see them.

So that f*ckery we saw was just a product of bad parenting. So I have upgraded the performance from EPIC EPIC EPIC FAIL to EPIC PARENTING FAIL. But my first question is, what made Wayne think that letting his pre-teen daughter dance to a song about sleeping with every girl in the world was a good idea? Do we have NO morals and standards left? But then again, it's her dad. So she's probably heard each and every one of his lyrics.

Honestly, it saddens me that this is what so many of our people have allowed themselves to become. Minstrels, bad parents, promiscuous...the list goes on and on. We already live in a hyper-sexualized country. So to encourage that behavior in children SO YOUNG truly hurts my heart. We have dropped the ball and I don't know if we can recover from the fumble.

I usually try to end my stuff with words of encouragement. But right now, I have nothing....

Open Letter to Drizzy - Tia

Dear Drake,

Congratulations on the EPIC FAIL that is the video for one the hottest songs of the summer, Best I Ever Had. It may easily be one of the worst videos I've seen...ever. First video out of the box and this is what you bring us. Wow...I'm in utter shock at how craptacular this is. You just inked a $3 million dollar deal and THIS is all you got....I guess it can only get better from here...I guess. If I were you though, I would consider reshooting this with better lighting, a better storyline, a better director (Yeah, I'm talking to you Kanye) and better actors...I mean, I guess those girls were "actors" right...? Never mind, they're probably just video girls and that would explain why the delivery from every last one of them was horrid. HORRID, I SAY!!!

Oh and before I forget, kudos on being able to objectify all of the following in under 5 minutes: women, female athletes, strippers, and mascots. That is no small feat.

Anyway, I'm still a fan of the album. As a lyricist, I'm more than just a little impressed by your flow. So I'm looking forward to the album "officially" dropping in the fall. And hopefully it will include some new stuff. But until then, you get the gas face and a Boo Negro Boo from BGLU.

Kind Regards and Boy, Do Better,

Tia

King of Pop - Tia

I, like most people, have been feeling some kind of way about Michael Jackson's passing. This morning I played Man in the Mirror on repeat for about 3 hours. Apologies to my neighbors..

It's no secret that the man touched SOOOO many people. And frankly, it's a shame that it took his death for people to realize that he was so much more than tabloid fodder.

Not surprisingly, there are tribute songs popping up all over the place. I heard one the other day from Diddy that supposedly came out the day after Mike died. (I'm not going to comment on that. Y'all know how I feel about Sean Combs. *coughminionofSatancough*) This take on The Way You Make Me Feel by one of my FAVORITE artists, David Ryan Harris, almost made me start crying again.

BET Awards- Toya

I am so infuriated over the BET Awards last night that I am actually NOT going to be posting a recap today. What I will be doing later, however, is post the letter that I will be sending BET very soon. That’s really all I can say right now. I am that pissed off.

Well on second thought...

I will say these three things that are nice.

1. Ne-Yo and I go together now (in my mind obviously).
2. I love Eddie Levert.
3. It was so good to see little Tevin Campbell.

That is all.

You should know...Melo - Tia

(I know the stuff with MJ is still fresh. But if I watch one more report I think I might lose it. It's on EVERYTHING...)

The comparisons were inevitable and unavoidable. Robin Thicke, Remy Shand, even Justin Timberlake. When you’re a white soul singer the world automatically tries to lump you with others of your ilk. But sometimes the comparisons do all of the artists involved a great disservice. And frankly, not too many people have anything on this guy.

I randomly stumbled upon Melo’s Off My Chest last weekend. I wasn’t looking for him. And if I’m being honest, had he not LOOKED like what I like I probably would have kept on moving. But being the junkie that I am for blue eyed white boys, this cover captured my whole attention without even trying.

I was in Mood’s Music so I knew that the cd had to fall somewhere in the R&B genre. A pretty white boy singing R&B…“I’d like to get this also, please.”

I sat in my living room later that afternoon with no expectations. I had purchased the cd of a man I knew nothing of. So you can imagine my delight when the bass line hit from the first track, What Have We Got To Lose and I found myself squealing, “Oh yeah?!?!?!” A genuine R&B cd, Off My Chest manages to bring in the best elements of soul without being overbearing, oversexed or heavy laden with slick tricks and unnecessary guests spots.

Real Slow demands to be added to EVERYONE’S quiet storm playlist. And What’s New starts with the question each and every one of us asks when we get dumped, “Is it me?” and ends with the attitude we all eventually adopt after a break-up, “It’s not like I care.”

Solid lyrics and a firm grasp of what R&B should truly sound like, Off My Chest could quickly become a permanent fixture on a true soul playlist. Conjuring up memories of D’Angelo and even (gasp!!) early Maxwell, Melo seems to have figured out how to tap into a vein that has sadly been ignored for too long by the soul/R&B community. Rawness, sensuality, pain, laughter (See Caroline) that’s what you get from this Swedish soul singer. By skipping the hype and the unnecessary elements *coughAutotunecough* Melo has managed to produce one of the best cds I’ve heard in a very long time. And I personally hope that the big names in the game sit up and take notice. Because, given enough room, Melo could be the next white boy we all love.

Check him out at http://www.myspace.com/moodymelo

His Smile Ruined Me Everytime- Toya

From Toya...

No Words - Tia

1958- 2009

Does Anyone Remember This
or
Throwback Video of the Week - Tia

Yesterday, I about LOST MY MIND when I heard this song by the Goodfellaz. I have been having what can only be described as a helluva week. Actually the last two weeks have been a trip. I need a hug like you wouldn't believe. So all of that to say, anything that makes me smile right now is greatly appreciated.

My best friend from high school and I used to RUNNNNNNN this song. I had it on cassingle and we would ride around Columbus bumping it in my VW Fox. I asked Toya about and she had no recollection of the song. That REALLY struck me as odd since I can count on one hand how many times I've known a song that Toya didn't. But her not knowing it got me to thinking. Was this song only popular in the Midwest? Maybe it didn't get beyond certain regions or markets.

So for my hard core R&B junkies out there, I need to know: Do you know this song? Do you remember the video? (She slaps him in the face with the bra....LOVED IT)

Here's a link to the video (Universal Music Group are some busters and embedding is disabled.) and here's the song.

ANYONE besides me remember this?

And my two cents - Tia

I sent Toya the following text when I heard about Perez, "Perez Hilton got popped in the eye. I don't feel bad at all." PH talks cash money shizz ALLLLLL of the time. I was really surprised that it took this long. And while I am in no way condoning violence, you can only piss off people for so long before they react. And Hollywood does not strike me as a city filled with folks who are going to repeatedly turn the other cheek.

Oh and random aside, I like how PH gave Ms. California a hard time about her religious beliefs but when it was HIS eye that got dotted he was ALLLLL about letting Will and the Peas know that "God" was not pleased with them. Ummm...you know what I'm not even going to comment on that any further.

But the highlight of my day yesterday was reading this exchange b/w John Mayer and Perez (and randomly Kirstie Alley...????) that occurred on Twitter. John can be a jerk sometimes but this was pretty funny to me.

Mayer: I love that @perezhilton uses his cellphone to log on to twitter to post a tweet to ask his followers to call the police for him.

Mayer: Last year P!nk kneed me in the nuts outside Chateau Marmont. I was pissing blood for days. Did I make a scene?

Mayer: @perezhilton’s video statement is so long that by the end of it his cut healed.

Perez: @johncmayer That’s real funny! Ha ha! And I’m sure you also think I “deserved” to get hit!

Mayer: @PerezHilton Not true. In fact I’d like to train you in Krav Maga. Then you’ll have the situational awareness not to get in someone’s face.

Mayer: @perezhilton I also want to train you in an old martial art called “Never Call A Black Dude a Faggot Jitsu.”

Mayer: @PerezHilton agreed. So let’s meet up this week and I’ll give you your first krav maga instruction. We’ll break the event down and learn…

Perez: @johncmayer Ok.

Mayer: @perezhilton people don’t want to see you hurt, they want to see you experience something equalizing.

Mayer: @PerezHilton by understanding the genetics of a violent incident you can learn to avoid them. And if you can’t, you will learn to end them.

Mayer: @PerezHilton this will be the last public mention of it. You know how to find me. Words have cause and effect, even if the effect is wrong.

Perez: @johncmayer Dude, I get it. I GET IT. But it’s not fucking funny to me. Karma would be me losing my site and going bankrupt or what have u.

Mayer: @PerezHilton Yah, you’re not getting it… OOH! OK. It’s like the Matrix. You live in the Perez Matrix. You wrote the program, you can fly.

Perez: @johncmayer Karma is NOT getting punched in the face!

Mayer: @perezhilton from the heart, what you experienced these last 24 hrs is a profound lack of control. You can’t blog the world, my friend.

Mayer: @PerezHilton then you leave the Matrix, and oh, what the hell, you’re not gonna get it. You’re a sweet guy though.

Perez: @johncmayer I can never tell if ur being sincere or not. It doesnt matter. Have Harley email me contact info for this so I can do on my own.

Kirstie Alley: @iamtherealwill [Will.i.am’s Twitter] WHAT EVER HAPPENED..YOU ARE MY HERO.. LOVE LOVE LOVE TO YOU…AND MORE LOVE…LOVE, KIRSTIE

Kirstie Alley: Perez…in the future…must only duke it out with lentils…leave the black eyed peas to the big boys

Perez: @kirstiealley I’m 31 years old. You’re 58. But it seems like you have the mental maturity of a 13 year old. Way to go!

Perez: @johncmayer I cant DM u and Im not trying to play this out publicly. B well. I dont wish u harm. I talk shit but I sincerely wish no 1 harm.

Perez: @johncmayer And people DO want to see me hurt. That’s what I’ve been reading over and over again. But it’s cool. I’ll be back 2 normal tomm.

Mayer: @PerezHilton you might have a gash on your face for a few more days, but the real healing? It’s happening right now.

Perez: @johncmayer Once again, we agree! I live in my own world. And in my world, I would never punch someone. And in my world, that’s illegal!

Mayer: @perezhilton now you sit down behind that Tandy computer and you hash out a Doogie diary. Be sure to pause, think, and keep typing.

Mayer: @perezhilton because today, the fourth wall came crashing down. Mario, you are human. I call upon Twitter to be kind to you. #perezisokbyme

Perez: @johncmayer I’m not human! I’m a monster! Good night, John Mayer.

Mayer: @PerezHilton Good night Perez, you dumb shit. #perezisokbyme

Kirstie Alley: JOHN MAYER…you are in the wrong biness…you funny, singer boy…you real damn funny…

Kirstie Alley: @johncmayer I have comedy CRUSH on you…you are one funny singing sensation…I heart your timing…love, K

I wasn't going to say anything but...- Toya

Ok. I really wasn't going to say anything because I don't find Perez Hilton worth talking about. It has come to my attention that most people that act that "extra" and are so overly critical of others on the level that he is cannot be too happy with themselves. I mean, Tia and I have our share of things to say but we don't revolve our lives around bringing others down. Clearly this is a hurting man and I want to be sensitive to that but with that being said, I could not help but bring up something that struck me to be interesting about this whole Perez Hilton/Black Eyed Peas situation.

As you may know Perez Hilton got rocked upside his head by the manager of The Black Eyed Peas (Please, hold your applause). I am not going to go into how the first thing this man did was Twitter about it. The jokes write themselves, yall. I am not going into how he originally said it was Will I Am but now it comes out that it was Will I Am's manager. I am going to let the potential "Yall all look alike" slide THIS ONE TIME only to bring something else to light. I was reading http://www.eurweb.com/ this morning and read this quote by Perez Hilton, a gay man, on why he took to calling Will. I. Am a faggot.

According to http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur54187.cfm: Hilton, who is openly gay, said in his vide "I made the split-second decision -- that I was gonna say what I thought was the worst possible thing that thug [will.i.am] would ever want to hear" -- which was the gay slur 'faggot'."

Will.I.Am a thug? Please, he wears argyle. We ALL know that the worst possible thing that Will.I.Am would have wanted to hear was not THAT word. Let's keep it real in the field, shall we? The WORST word? I think we all know what the worst word would've been and had it been said he would've been uploading his snitch videos from the nearest hospital while speaking through a tube.

And what I really LOVE (no sarcasm at all) is how GLAAD is like, "No dude. NO ONE can say the word "faggot", not even you." and are demanding an apology. I think if anything they need to make him apologize not only for using that word but for even coming out of the closet in the first place. You know how one person can make a group of people look bad? Oh and that brings me to this statement...

Clearly, I am not homophobic. Also, I am not nor have I ever claimed to be a spokesperson for the gay community. I am just speaking for myself, a gay man.

Really? You know what? I have already given too much time to Perez so I will end right there. My point of all this was we all know that while Perez might be ridiculous he aint all the way crazy. The "worst word"my behind...

What I'm listening to - Tia
Confession: White boys are my kryptonite. A pretty white boy with a swagger will make me act straight up STUPID. I admit it. I'm not ashamed. I like what I like.

This morning I went to Moods Music in Little 5 to get the new Chrisette Michelle album. While I was perusing the shelves this picture caught my eye:

Now mind you, I have never heard of this guy, never seen him before in my life. But he looks like what I like. And so note unheard, I bought this cd based solely on his looks. Yes, I am aware that I have a problem. Shut it....

Thankfully, I have been really pleased with the album. His name is Melo and he's actually quite good. Think Robin Thicke (Beautiful World Thicke, not this new guy) and Job B. but with a more soulful vibe. I'm currently giving the album a full run through and I have yet to have to skip a track. That's a good sign. So far, I'm definitely feeling it.

I'll keep you updated, but until then this should keep you occupied: