The Weeknd - Thursday review.

Taken from soulculture.co.uk.

"...but on Thursday, make sure you are thirsty."

I can speak on behalf of many music fans that when it came to The Weeknd's newest mixtape, Thursday, we weren't just thirsty for it - we were parched. Just a few weeks after hearing the universally acclaimed, out-of-nowhere release House of Balloons, my hype level for the next chapter of the three-part trilogy was through the roof.

Besides some tweets in May saying Thursday was coming soon along with two "singles" in "Rolling Stone" and "The Birds Part 1" released within the same timeframe, there wasn't much news behind the mysterious mixtape. Abel Tesfaye did, however, host his first concert in early July and later performed at OVO Fest on the 31st. But once the lights turned off at Molson Amphitheatre, he went back into hiding and the release date of Thursday was still unknown.

Then on the 16th, Abel simply tweeted "this one..." and everyone knew what was finally coming soon. Two days later (obviously on a Thursday), the highly anticipated mixtape was released on his website and just shortly after, the site crashed and many people - including me - were searching for alternate links. In just the first day alone, Thursday was downloaded over 180,000 times; an incredible number for a still relatively unknown artist.

When I first listened to House of Balloons, I enjoyed it but nothing blew me away. Eventually a few more listens made me like it a lot, and continued listens over the past months made it one of my favorite projects of 2011. Unlike the first mixtape though, Thursday hit me square in the face during my first listen.

The entire tape sort of plays off "Wicked Games" from House of Balloons. Still heartbroken from a previous relationship, the nine-track project unravels as a story, documenting Abel's process of finding girls to hook up with. However, the story's antagonist doesn't provoke the same feelings that the other girls do.

In the opener "Lonely Star", Abel meets what could be his next hook up. The girl doesn't have much of a past because of a lack of relationships, so Abel takes her under his arm and shows she can have whatever she wants. It's a ploy to sleep with her however and after she gets some drugs in her system, she starts bringing his plan to life.

"Welcome to the other side," he cries out in "Life of the Party" - a signal of the transformation the girl has made since the previous song. She's starting to become exactly what Abel wanted her to be; from the innocent, lonely girl to a drug-induced whore. The title track "Thursday", reiterates that she's not different from the rest and that his feelings for her drastically change from day-to-day.

The Drake-assisted "The Zone" is not only my favorite song from the tape, but it also reiterates the fact that she isn't anything more than a hook up to him. Their first time together is more influenced by the codeine he's been drinking than actual feelings. Drake's verse doesn't necessarily tie in with Abel's story but it fits the theme of the tape and closes out the song perfectly.

Abel feels the need to remind the girl in "The Birds Part 1" that falling in love with him will be useless, cause he's done this exact thing plenty of times. But her response in "The Birds Part 2" is that she already fell in love with him and wants him to wait till she loses her feelings for her before he inevitably cheats on her.

But with her statement "it won't be long till I fall out of love" from the previous song, she insists that she doesn't want this to explicitly end. "Gone" is like "The Zone", piecing together their next hook up. The possible shifting of his intentions show up here when he allows her to drink the codeine that he values so much.

"Rolling Stone" shows Abel at his most vulnerable state. The morning after the party, he starts questioning his feelings and thinks he might actually want this girl to love him. He's worried about how the ineluctable fame will have women want him for that reason and not for himself. Confusion sets in at the end though because he is still unsure of what he wants. One line he's singing "I'll be different", the next is "I think I'll be different" and then finally "I hope I'm not different."

And that brings us to the tape's closer, "Heaven or Las Vegas". It briefly touches on a lack of a father figure in Abel's life, but the main theme of this song is how he feels like a king or a god because he has everything he wants in life: drugs, girls and friends. Whether this is like heaven to him or is more like Las Vegas remains to be seen (or rather, heard).

Comparing this to House of Balloons is tough, because they're both incredible mixtapes and some of the best projects in 2011. House of Balloons has better highlights ("What You Need", "Wicked Games") but Thursday is a more complete listen. The production is just as good, if not better as its counterpart and nothing seems out of place. The story flows beautifully and is also relatable in many aspects (one aspect not being the hardcore drug use found throughout the tape).

It seemed impossible at first, but The Weeknd did it. He somehow topped an absolutely brilliant debut and as of August 26th, this is your 2011 project of the year.

1.) Lonely Star | 4 - 4.25

2.) Life of the Party | 3.5 - 4

3.) Thursday | 4.5 - 5

4.) The Zone (ft. Drake) | 5

5.) The Birds Part 1 | 4.75 - 5

6.) The Birds Part 2 | 4.25 - 5

7.) Gone | 4.75 - 5

8.) Rolling Stone | 5

9.) Heaven or Las Vegas | 3 - 3.75

Overall: 4.49/5

Hell: The Sequel review.

With apologies to Tech N9ne and Skyzoo, who each have released great projects just recently, I decided to make my next review the years-in-the-making collaboration project between Eminem and Royce da 5'9, Hell: The Sequel. Although both artists are out of their prime, the annoucement of this EP gave the music world another highly anticipated, if not the most anticipated project for 2011.

However, for most hip-hop heads, high expectations weren't exactly the norm. Although Royce has been doing his thing with Slaughterhouse, Eminem has been extremely disappointing as of late with Relapse and Recovery. Both albums have showed signs of the old Eminem, but the majority of the songs on both showed an over-exaggerated delivery style (accent on Relapse, hardcore yelling on Recovery) that turned a lot of listeners off. That includes me, who if you can remember, originally gave Recovery a 4.2/5, but that was a result of falling victim to the hype.

Still, like all of my favorite artists growing up, I will support Eminem and continue to listen to all his projects in hopes of him recapturing one of the old styles or just making consistently good music. With all of that being said, I went into my listening sessions of Hell: The Sequel with bias aside, hoping the two Detroit artist could recapture the flame of their collaborations from The Slim Shady LP days.

The EP's intro track "Welcome 2 Hell" showcases supreme technical ability as Eminem storms out of the gate with a lightning-quick flow. The faster Eminem raps, the less evident his new yelling delivery is, which is always a positive. Royce matches him bar for bar by the time you're really starting to get into the song, it's over at under three minutes.

"Fastlane", the first single from the EP, is the best example of Eminem and Royce's chemistry together. In the second verse, Royce slowly starts to quicken his flow and right in the middle of a line, Eminem catches the flow and continues on with it. It's things like this that make these two a beauty to listen to when they're together.

"The Reunion" has a catchy Eminem-sung hook along with multiple Relapse references. Meanwhile, "Above The Law" slightly sounds like Rihanna's "Hard" from a production standpoint. Royce definitely gets the better of his counterpart in the latter; the first time I feel the one artist completely outshines the other.

"I'm On Everything" is just a fun song, showcasing some of the humor Eminem and Royce da 5'9 have shown over the years of their career while providing an extremely addicting hook by Mike Epps. "A Kiss" is another song where I think Royce is more notable than Em, but Slim Shady has the most hilarious line as he pokes fun at Lady Gaga.

"Lighters" is easily the most controversial song on the EP. The track doesn't fit the project's vibe at all and it just screams radio play on Bruno Mars's first note. However, differing from unpopular opinion, I feel Mars does an incredible job on the hook. Eminem and Royce's verses could be a lot better for the song to be executed perfectly, but it's still solid enough to not get really old and annoying when it's heard on the radio.

The final two songs showcase some of my favorite verses of the EP. Eminem is at his best on "Take From Me" as he takes shots at the mysterious Koolo, who leaked unreleased songs throughout the last few months. Slaughterhouse stops in for the final song, "Loud Noises", with Crooked I and Joe Budden standing over their peers.

The EP, like assumed, is a few years too late to realize its full potential, but it's still a fun listen. Only songs like "Fast Lane", "I'm On Everything", "Take From Me" and "Loud Noises" have some sort of replay value, but that might be just how I feel about Eminem nowadays. He can still spit sometimes, but for the most part, he's not nearly as enjoyable to listen to as other artists. Still, Hell: The Sequel is a solid project that deserves a listen.

1.) Welcome 2 Hell - 3.5 - 4

2.) Fast Lane - 4.5 - 5

3.) The Reunion - 2.5 - 3

4.) Above The Law - 3

5.) I'm On Everything (ft. Mike Epps) - 4 - 4.75

6.) A Kiss - 2 - 2.5

7.) Lighters (ft. Bruno Mars) - 3 - 3.5

8.) Take From Me - 4

9.) Loud Noises (ft. Slaughterhouse) - 4 - 4.5

Overall: 3.60/5

Goblin album review.

Vulnerability. It resides in all of our lives and in different forms. Some of us have a high level of vulnerability, while for others, it takes a lot to provoke it. For Tyler Okonma, his vulnerability is expressed throughout his second album, Goblin. He might seem like your typical happy-go-lucky, rebellious 20-year-old, but beyond the explicit tweets and humorous interviews, there's a young kid that misses how simple life used to be.

In the album's opening song, "Goblin", Tyler, The Creator's therapy session with Dr. TC continues from Bastard - right off the last track "Inglorious". Tyler vents about high expectations, his critics that try to bring him down, the lack of attention his fellow Odd Future members get, as well as other subjects. He admits he's too scared to tell his friends how he actually feels about things, because it would diminish the tough guy persona that he portrays through his subject matter.

"Her" shows a side of Tyler that is rarely, if ever seen in public. In a heart-felt confession to a girl named Raquel, Tyler admits that he wants to establish a relationship with her and do all the cheesy things that girls like in them. When she ends up getting back together with the ex-boyfriend that Tyler hates, Tyler wants to express his anger over a text but he would end up smiling just because they'd be conversing again.

However, Tyler's biggest showing of his vulnerability is in the album's closing track, "Golden". In the first verse alone, he addresses the lack of time he sees his mother, when this rapping thing was just for fun, how his friends are treating him differently and that they're more like his assistants now, and how he misses Earl Sweatshirt while his fans are moreso just missing new music from the young rapper.

Goblin might be one of the darkest albums I've heard in a while. The hit single "Yonkers" takes a haunting beat and complements it with contradictory lyrics that are based off the first line of the song. The video is equally brilliant and although it might not be creepy to me as an avid Odd Future listener, I guarantee that if you show the music video to a unbeknownst friend, they'll be creeped out.

The Left Brain-produced "Transylvania" has Tyler playing the role as Dracula, as he uses a vocal effect to make his extreme lyrics to make the song even more haunting. "Nightmare" is a message to his mother that the newfound fame is taking her son over, but he also takes the time to angrily lash out at Earl's parents, calling them failures for sending their son away.

Even the album's most mainstream ready song, "She", is haunting. Frank Ocean is attacked by Tyler during his sex session with the new girl down the block, who turns out to be Tyler's ex-girlfriend. Despite the subject matter, Frank delievers a beautiful hook about Tyler being a possessive, stalking ex-boyfriend, then Tyler cuts down on the shock lyrics (for the most part) after threatening to kill her if him and the girl don't hang out tonight. It's the perfect love song for the theme and vibe of Goblin.

But despite my earlier statement of how dark this album is, there are a few songs that don't exactly fit from that standpoint. "Analog" is also a song ready for the mainstream, taking the vocal effects similar to the ones in "Transylvania" and instead of continuing that vibe, both Tyler and Hodgy Beats create a "summer love" song that surprisingly is very good.

"Bitch Suck Dick" is the given joke track - see "Tina" on Bastard - with Jasper Dolphin and Taco. Think Waka Flocka Flame meets Odd Future when you're listening to it. The song itself is horrible (as expected), but it's fun to listen to when you're in a good mood. "Fish" isn't very dark either but it's also very forgettable.

But some of the darkest moments on the album happen right at the end of "Bitch Suck Dick" and the posse track, "Window". [SPOILER ALERT] In each of these, Tyler breaks down and shoots his friends, killing Jasper and Taco in their assisted song, then killing the rest after his verse in the latter. Hodgy isn't in my top three favorite members of OFWGKTA, but his "death" hit me the hardest because of the emotion he showed after "dying". It actually felt kind of real. [END SPOILER ALERT]

The influences of two albums released throughout the past few years are throughout Goblin. For instance, the instrumental changes and outros on songs like "Goblin", "Radicals" and "Tron Cat" are a direct influence of Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy of last year. Lyrics similar to those in Eminem's 2009 release Relapse are found throughout tracks like "Transylvania", while Tyler's conscience rapping along with him in "Golden" is a lot like the bonus track "My Darling".

I can see the reasons why someone wouldn't like this however. Even though I noted the Kanye influence in songs like "Radicals", the change of chords aren't as interesting as they could be. The beats to "Her" and "Window" are too simplistic for even Tyler's standards and would bore most listeners. The explicit lyrics could wear thin after a while, especially on an album that just under 80 minutes long. If this album was cut down to a 40-50 minute version, then I could see a lot more people liking this.

As a whole, I feel this is a more focused effort from both a lyrical and production standpoint. Bastard's highlights aren't superior in quality and quanitity to Goblin's, while the middle-of-the-road tracks are better on the latest album as well. There's obviously room to grow for Tyler, The Creator as both an MC and a producer, but if the album concepts follow through into his already planned third album, Wolf, then in 2012 we might have an legitimate Album of the Year candidate by everyone's favorite (or most hated) loud-mouthed, rebellious artist.

1.) Goblin | 4 - 4.75

2.) Yonkers | 5

3.) Radicals | 4 - 4.5

4.) She (ft. Frank Ocean) | 5

5.) Transylvania | 3.25 - 4

6.) Nightmare | 3.5 - 4

7.) Tron Cat | 4 - 4.25

8.) Her | 4

9.) Sandwitches (ft. Hodgy Beats) | 4.75 - 5

10.) Fish | 2.5 - 3

11.) Analog (ft. Hodgy Beats) | 4.5 - 5

12.) Bitch Suck Dick (ft. Jasper Dolphin & Taco) | 2.25 - 3

13.) Window (ft. Domo Genesis, Frank Ocean, Hodgy Beats & Mike G) | 3 - 3.75

14.) AU79 | 3 - 3.5

15.) Golden | 5

Overall: 4.05/5

Welcome to Tennessee, Jake Locker.

"He had below a 60 percent completion rate!"

"Blaine Gabbert was still on the board!"

"What a reach!"

Yes, those are just some of the comments I heard when the Tennessee Titans shocked most of the NFL world by choosing Washington quarterback Jake Locker with the 8th overall pick. The disapproval rate of the selection was overwhelming and I felt like one of the few Titans fans who were okay with the pick. I admittedly was shocked at first and wanted Nick Fairley of Auburn, but I never flat-out hated the pick because I think Locker can become a very good NFL quarterback in the right situation.

Here in Tennessee, Locker is in the right situation. The front office is more than committed to pick up a veteran free agent quarterback to start, so Locker won't be forced into action right away. Bringing back Kerry Collins is also a possibility and as much flak he gets, he actually played above-average when healthy and given time in the pocket.

He has a quarterback guru to learn under. Chris Palmer has had a lot of success with young signal-callers; most recently with Eli Manning and Tony Romo. Palmer wanted Locker from the beginning and the two have even planned to spend time in July at Cape Cod. Why is Locker going to be at Cape Cod then? He's getting married and wants to spend his honeymoon with his wife and his offensive coordinator. That's dedication.

He has plenty of offensive weapons to help him. He has the best runningback in the league in Chris Johnson to hand the ball to and on the outside, there's one of the most explosive young receivers in Kenny Britt. Athletic freak Jared Cook excited many in his extended playing time at the end of 2010 and his offensive linemates are very solid, especially former All-Pro tackles Michael Roos and David Stewart. This isn't the group of no-bodies that Locker had with Washington, no, this is one of the brightest young offenses in the NFL. All they were missing was a quarterback.

The biggest knock on Locker is his accuracy, but if you watch tape, you'd see that a positive in his game is his accuracy out of the pocket. He's probably the best quarterback in this class at throwing on the run but the concerns are when he's in the pocket. But how many times was he actually comfortable in the pocket?

Most of his offensive teammates weren't Pac 10 level talent thanks to the recruiting practices of former coach Tyrone Willingham, so plenty of times the pocket collapsed extremely early and his receivers would drop catchable balls. I'm not denying that his accuracy needs work, but the situation he was in at Washington was a tough one to say the least.

His work ethic and leadership abilities already surpass the last Titans quarterback that wore #10. I already mentioned how he's planning to vacation with his offensive coordinator, but from a leadership standpoint, he stayed for his senior year to complete two goals: to get his degree and to lead Washington to their first bowl game since 2002. Despite his stock dropping with the emergence of other quarterbacks, he completed both goals, even leading the Huskies to a revenge win over Nebraska - a team that beat them earlier in the regular season.

Ever since Mike Reinfeldt took over for Floyd Reese as the team's General Manager, the Titans' first round selections have been great. Michael Griffin, although inconsistent at times, is one of the better safeties in the league. The aforementioned Johnson was a reach but he turned out okay. Britt, like I said, is one of the most explosive young receivers and despite a knee injury, last year's selection Derrick Morgan looks like the best defensive end in Tennessee since Jevon Kearse if/when he recovers fully. With all of those positive selections, it won't be much of a surprise if Locker turns out to be a winner as well.

There has been plenty of quarterbacks who have entered the league with accuracy concerns who turned out to be great, including one of the franchise's best in the late Steve McNair. I'm not saying he's the next McNair, but I feel we've gotten an excellent individual who has a great head on his shoulders and I'm very excited to have him as a Tennessee Titan.

Welcome to Tennessee, Jake Locker.

Titans draft thoughts.

Photo taken from NFLsoup.com.

Hey in case you didn't know, the NFL Draft is tomorrow! With the league currently (though not technically anymore) in a lockout, this year's draft has been one of the least anticipated in history. The event is a huge one for a Titans fan, as we'll find out (more than likely) who our next franchise quarterback will be within the first two rounds.

The 2010 draft was very kind to Tennessee as they found a starter in the middle rounds and a Pro Bowler in Round 7. Here's just a quick recap of how their selections fared in their rookie campaigns.

[1st round, 16th overall] Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech - 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks

Morgan was well on his way to proving his worth as the 16th overall selection. However, a torn ACL shut down his rookie season and left the Titans in a tough predictament by having to rotate players like Jacob Ford and William Hayes at defensive end. Morgan's rehab is reportedly going well and he should find himself back on the field by the start of the season.

[3rd round, 77th overall] Damian Williams, WR, USC - 16 catches, 219 yards

This is a pick I loved coming into the season and still do. Stats don't tell the story how impressive Williams was last year. He was buried on the bench for most of the season because of former coach (I love saying that) Jeff Fisher's love affair with Justin Gage, but when he did deservingly get into the game, he was a threat in the slot. Williams should have a big role in the Titans offense for years to come.

[3rd round, 97th overall] Rennie Curran, LB, Georgia - 8 tackles

Another pick I loved coming into the season, but I haven't seen anything yet to make me love it even more. His sample size came on the way of special teams in nine games, but he did good in that role. With the potential departure of Stephen Tulloch, look for Curran to get more playing time in 2011.

[4th round, 104th overall] Alterraun Verner, CB, UCLA - 101 tackles, 3 INT

An absolute steal. While teams like the Texans and the Jets were picking corners not named Joe Haden and Devin McCourty in the first round, the Titans quietly took this mathematics major in the fourth round. For part of the season, Verner was ranked as one of the top corners in the entire league by Pro Football Focus and although his play slipped slightly near the end of 2010, he still had an incredible year nonetheless. I'm thrilled to have this guy on the Titans and can't wait for him to develop even more in Jerry Gray's defensive scheme.

[5th round, 148th overall] Robert Johnson, S, Utah - N/A

The biggest news Johnson made all season was posing as Randy Moss during Moss's first practice in Tennessee. With an aging Chris Hope, Johnson should get some playing time at strong safety in 2011.

[6th round, 176th overall] Rusty Smith, QB, Florida Atlantic - 25.0 rtg., 200 yards, 4 INT

I had a love/hate relationship with this pick at first. I loved it because of Smith's first name, but hated it with Dan LeFevour still on the board. That being said, I still am okay with this selection. Ignoring the horrible showing against Houston, Smith showed an incredible work ethic to get better while flashing some sorts of skill in his two appearances. He never should have saw the field last season and although he'll possibly never be a consistent starting quarterback in his career, I can promise he'll be much better than what he showed against Houston.

[6th round, 207th overall] Myron Rolle, S, Florida State - N/A

Loved this pick too but maybe moreso for the story than the actual ability of Rolle. He was on the practice squad all season and might see some time at safety next year, but I'm not sure of that. One thing he needs to do however is knock some sense into Kenny Britt.

[7th round, 222nd overall] Marc Mariani, WR/KR, Montana - 60 KR, 1530 yards, 1 TD, 27 PR, 329 yards, 1 TD

I think Jeff Fisher and I were the only ones who liked this selection on draft day. I saw enough of Mariani on highlight videos to become a fan of his and hoped we would snag him late to shore up a shaky at best returning game. He did just that, being the only player last season to score on a kick and punt return, while making the Pro Bowl. He showed me a lot during the pre-season as a receiver too and I think will see time on offense next season.

[7th round, 241th overall] David Howard, DT, Brown - N/A

I thought he was still on the Titans practice squad but after a quick Google search, I found out he was waived and later picked up by the Oakland Raiders.

I'd check the 2010 NFL Draft as a success for the Titans, especially with their later selections of Verner and Mariani. This year's draft is more important however because with the departure of Vince Young and Jeff Fisher, new head coach Mike Munchak needs to find a franchise quarterback along with other players who will fit his new system.

There should be plenty of players to choose from with the eighth overall pick. Quarterbacks like Jake Locker and Andy Dalton will certainly be there but most teams have them graded as mid-first round selections at best. Cornerback Prince Amukamara of Nebraska should be there as well and maybe end North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn. But at #8, I want and believe the Titans will take Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley.

Fairley has the potential to be one of the more dominant defensive tackles in the league someday. He can disrupt the run, gets to the quarterback and plays with a mean streak (sometimes a little too mean however). There are questions about his work ethic a la Albert Haynesworth but with his former college defensive line coach Tracy Rocker assuming the same position here, plus with a no-nonsense head man in Munchak, I see the rewards being much greater than the risk.

The quarterback position is tough to predict in this year's draft. Mostly everyone assumes Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert will be gone by the top 10, which leaves Locker, Dalton, Christian Ponder, Colin Kaepernick and Ryan Mallett as the remaining "top" quarterbacks on the board.

There are two scenarios that I would prefer the Titans to be in come draft day. The first is trading back into the first round if someone like Locker, Dalton or Ponder are there. I would prefer not to trade with New England because of their trading history or give up a first in 2012, but I can see both happening. I am a fan of Locker, Dalton and Ponder, but don't want them with the 8th overall selection because they aren't worth it there.

The second scenario is staying pat and waiting till the second round to pick a quarterback. Quarterbacks selected in the second round don't have a good success rate, which scares me, but if a lot of these guys are still on the board through the first round, then I would want a quarterback at #40. The most likely selection here would be Kaepernick, who I also like a lot, but I only want him if I know we'll get a veteran quarterback in free agency to mentor him. Kaepernick is at least two years away from being ready for the NFL, but the potential is definitely there.

Mallett is not on my draft board until the third or fourth rounds. I hate the drug rumors surrounding him, the character issues, the pompous attitude he carries and his mobility. There's no questioning his arm but I just can't see someone who has all those red flags being the face of the franchise. If he somehow falls to the third or fourth round and the Titans are still without a quarterback, then I'm all for drafting him just because he's not as much of a risk nor is he looked upon as the future of the franchise. If he pans out, fine, but if not, then oh well.

Other guys I would love in the middle to later rounds are Michigan State linebacker Greg Jones, USC center Kris O'Dowd and Clemson safety DeAndre McDaniel. All three would fit big needs in positions that we are very weak at.

Go Titans.

Side note: Huge game for the Penguins tonight with a Game 7 home match-up against the Tampa Bay Lightning. I hope Eric Tangradi and Deryk Engelland will find their way onto the ice tonight because Tangradi can help a more-than-pathetic power play while Engelland possibly can't be worse than Ben Lovejoy. Let's go Pens!

The king and his heirs.

Image taken from http://www.guardian.co.uk.

About 18 years ago, a young R&B artist who went by the name R. Kelly left his group Public Announcement to release his first solo album, 12 Play. It received mixed reviews at first (then later received mostly positive) but it's easily one of my favorite albums of all-time. He followed that up with a successful self-titled album released two years later and then a double-disc album named R. that found itself on top of the Billboard charts after its first week.

After his self-titled album, he was proclaimed the "King of R&B" by Ebony Man magazine and still to this day, when someone discusses the genre, R. Kelly's name is almost immediately brought up. Just last year, he released another critically-acclaimed album in Love Letter, which gave a different vibe from his previous albums.

10 albums into his career and with more to come, it's no wonder that upcoming R&B artists today aspire to be as successful as R. Kelly. There are three in particular that I want to touch on - three that might be the heir to R. Kelly's crown sometime in the future. Two of them have been in the game since the middle-to-late 2000s with three or more albums under their belts already, while the other artist has worked more behind the scenes for a while before finally releasing his debut album this year.

There's three qualities I look at in a R&B artist; beautiful vocals, great lyrics and a very consistent record. R. Kelly has demonstrated all three of these throughout his career with some of the best vocals I've ever heard, a knack for telling a story through a song and the ability to release consistently good albums after one another.

Trey Songz has four albums under his belt and is probably the most popular R&B artist today. His vocal range has consistently improved throughout his career and it's to the point where I would consider it one of the best voices in the genre. Songs like "Can't Be Friends", "Black Roses" and "On Top" shows that Trey can craft a song from a lyrical standpoint. The biggest flaw however with him is his consistency. His second album Trey Day was a flop and although his past two albums have been very good, there's always one track in there that throws the entire album off. I don't know if it's label politics or if it's Trey's doing, but "LOL :-)" and "Bottoms Up" should not be on a R&B album.

The-Dream is the self-proclaimed "Radio Killa" but he speaks the truth; his hand in writing songs like J. Holiday's "Bed" and Rihanna's "Umbrella" have put those two artists in constant radio waves over the years. His lyrical skill is geared towards putting out music for the radio (like his nickname states) but it's not completely mainstream. His consistency is unparalleled compared to other R&B artists today because he is one of the few that knows how to make a complete album. Every track transitions perfectly to the next song in his three albums, which is rare today. However, the biggest flaw that he has is his voice because it's extremely weak. The-Dream uses a lot of computer generated programs to make his voice more appeasing and it said he can't carry a stage to save his life because of that flaw.

If you follow the Def Jam record label, you might remember an up and coming artist that went by the name Lonny Breaux. Well today he's known as Frank Ocean and he's already one of the genre's fastest rising stars. As Breaux, he was passed over and kept in the dark from the public, but he had his hand in writing songs for established artists like John Legend and Brandy. After releasing what has gotten mostly positive reviews in Nostalgia, ULTRA, the 23-year-old member from OFWGKTA could be the darkhorse to take R. Kelly's crown someday. He has good vocals and a real knack for writing a song; it's just up to him if he can stay consistent with his releases from now on.

There are other artists I could have mentioned like Legend, but I feel like he's reached his potential and won't get any bigger than he already is. That's fine though because he's an incredible artist on his own right, but the three artists I listed still haven't reached the pinnacle of their success yet and it just takes one classic album to put their name in legitimate conversation. I would say that Trey Songz is the most likely choice to take the crown someday, with Frank Ocean and The-Dream slightly behind him.

House of Balloons review.

Taken from CompleteVII.

Co-signs help take you to most places in life. If you're looking for a job and have a co-sign from a higher power in the company, chances are that you'll be more of a candidate for the opening than John Doe. So after gaining some co-signs from famous artists like Drake, I decided to give The Weeknd's debut mixtape House of Balloons a listen, hoping to add some more new R&B to my iPod.

A quick glance at the mixtape's cover will confuse the listener at first, but as soon as they start listening to the songs, they'll realize how much the portrait makes sense. The picture of a passed out naked woman in a bathtub with balloons covering everything but an exposed breast likely shows the aftermath of a crazy party; one that she won't likely remember. In fact, in the mixtape's first song "High For This", the chorus advises the girl that she should be, well, high for this.

Despite listening to this mixtape for a solid week now, I still haven't uncovered most the mysteries behind The Weeknd. Is The Weeknd just a solo artist or an artist and a group of in-house producers? I want to lean towards the latter, especially since the one thing I do know is that the lead singer and maybe only singer is Abel Tesfaye, from Toronto, Canada. (Which, not surprisingly, is one of the reasons why Drake co-signed him/them.) Tesfaye doesn't necessarily have the best voice, but his ear for beats, the passion he puts behind each note and the way he pieces this mixtape together reminds me a lot of The-Dream - only a more explicit version.

The lyrics laced throughout the nine-track project are filled with drug references, swagger and sexual conquest that would make the younger R. Kelly raise his eyebrow in surprise. An example would be "The Morning", which is one of the tape's highlights. Right at the beginning of the verse, Tesfaye says that banging sounds coming from the walls of his room are reminiscent to an unborn baby kicking at its mother's stomach. Yeah, it might not necessarily be the smoothest line to use to woo a girl, but that's the beauty of this tape.

"Wicked Games" shows a slightly vulnerable side of The Weeknd. The first verse has him viciously attacking a past love, saying that he doesn't love her anymore behind a low, dark guitar riff. His pain can be felt through the lyrics of the bridge and chorus, telling a woman he just met to say she loves him, even if it's just a lie. The destruction his past girl has left on him killed his confidence and he hopes a one night stand can fix that.

House of Balloons is a very good debut release that deserves the co-signs it's been getting. With the production taking on samples from bands like Beach House and Siouxsie and the Banshee's, I don't see only R&B fans getting behind this mixtape, as it appeals to a lot of tastes. The only flaw I can pick out is that some of the songs drag out too long and get stale, but the mixtape's highlights are too awesome not to ignore.

1.) High For This | 4

2.) What You Need | 3 - 3.25

3.) House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls | 3.5 - 4

4.) The Morning | 4.5 - 5

5.) Wicked Games | 5

6.) The Party & The After Party | 3.5 - 4

7.) Coming Down | 4.25 - 5

8.) Loft Music | 4 - 4.25

9.) The Knowing | 3.5 - 4

Overall: 4.10/5

2011 NCAA Tournament preview.

Photo taken from thesportsbank.net.

It's time to cuddle up with your bracket, memorize the lyrics to Luther Vandross's "One Shining Moment" and come up with a sickness to skip work on Thursday and Friday. Yes, it's time for the NCAA Tournament; my favorite sports spectacle of the year.

Last year's tournament was a very memorable one, as we saw two five seeds in the Final Four, a mid-major in Butler advance to the National Championship game, and saw multiple jaw-dropping upsets throughout every round. In the end, Duke took home their fourth championship and are a favorite to repeat this year.

The number one seeds are...

- Ohio State: Consistently at the top spot of the AP poll, the Buckeyes stormed out of the gates and won their first 24 games, before slipping up to a Wisconsin team who was very good at home. They fell once more, at Purdue, but with a deadly inside-outside combo of Naismith candidate, freshman Jared Sullinger and senior Jon Diebler, who is shooting an unreal 50% from behind the arc. The only flaw they might have is that they only go seven deep, but that hasn't been a problem all season.

- Duke: Last year's champion looks for a repeat behind senior All-ACC players Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler. Smith, like Sullinger of Ohio State, is a Naismith candidate, while Singler won the Most Outstanding Player award in last year's Final Four. Behind them, they have Seth Curry, a sophomore transfer from Liberty who has lit it up at times from three-point range this season. The weakness the Blue Devils possess is their frontcourt, which doesn't rebound as well as last year's bunch, nor is a huge offensive threat.

- Kansas: After losing Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, the entire team took their game to the next level en route to a Big 12 championship. The Morris twins have been nothing short of outstanding, with Marcus leading on the scoring front and Markieff handling more of the rebounding duties. John Selby hasn't made the impact many thought he would, but he's still a capable guard who could explode onto the scene with a huge tournament. Their weaknesses consist their inconsistency from behind the arc and their reliance on Marcus Morris for offense. They really don't have a consistent long-range threat like the other top seeds do and if you can shut the one twin down, then you have a good chance at winning.

- Pittsburgh: Once again, Jamie Dixon has his team in the tournament after a very strong showing in conference play. The Panthers won the Big East and were consistently a top five team in the AP polls all season. They're really deep with up to 11 guys getting meaningful playing time, but the offense runs through their two guards Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker. Wanamaker does everything for the Panthers, while Gibbs is extremely efficient from three-point land. The weakness for Pittsburgh is not only their tournament history, but on strictly a playing scale, their transition defense. They're very easy to run on and if you can get the big guys in trouble, they're much more vulnerable.

The players to watch are...

- Kendall Marshall, freshman guard, North Carolina: How is a player averaging 6.1 points per game a player to watch in the NCAA Tournament? Because he's possibly the best passer in the nation already. Ever since Marshall slid into the starting lineup, he has raised the Tar Heels to an elite level, as they just lost two games to Duke in the 16 games he has started. He also can stroke it from three at times, which makes this rising frosh a dangerous threat for whoever has to play against him.

- Kemba Walker, junior guard, Connecticut: Ask Gary McGhee of Pittsburgh if his ankles are still broken. "Cardiac" Kemba has been showing up on highlight reels all season, whether it's a scooping lay-up between two defenders or a game-winning shot with the clock running down. A Naismith candidate like Smith and Sullinger, Walker has carried this team who was unranked in the pre-season to a number three seed and the Big East Tournament championship. Something tells me there's still some magic left in that jumpshot of his.

- JaJuan Johnson, senior forward, Purdue: After Robbie Hummel was lost for the season with a torn ACL, Purdue's Final Four hopes took a huge nosedive...or so they thought. Already an All-Big Ten performer, Johnson stepped his game up even more and averaged over 20 points and eight rebounds per game, claiming the conference's Player of the Year award, but also the Defensive Player of the Year award too. He fills up the stat sheet every game, which the Boilermakers will need if they want to make their once shattered dreams come true.

- Jimmer Fredette, senior guard, BYU: His name has constantly been used as a verb. There's been a song made about him. Jimmer Fredette has taken over the college basketball landscape this season and looks to go out with a big bang. Fredette has scored 30+ points 13 times, including games of 42, 43, 47 and 52. He can single-handily carry a team in any game, but with the loss of Brandon Davies to an honor code violation, BYU's Final Four dreams were crushed. Enjoy Jimmer-mania while you still can.

The potential Cinderellas are...

- Washington: The Huskies come into the tournament riding an emotional last-second overtime win in the Pac-10 Tournament championship over Arizona, after junior guard Isaiah Thomas's game-winning shot. Thomas is one of the best point guards in the nation and with the return of Venoy Overton, Washington adds another piece to their already deep team.

- Oakland: Oakland played very tough non-conference schedule, with tournament teams West Virginia, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State, Tennessee, Michigan and Ohio State all before Christmas. Four players are averaging over 10 points a game, with senior big man Keith Benson leading the Golden Grizzlies charge with 18 and 10. They drew a tough match-up in Texas, but if they can get by the Longhorns, watch out.

- Richmond: Owning a non-conference win over Purdue, the Spiders won the underrated Atlantic-10 conference and its tournament and have won 11 of their last 12 games. Seniors Justin Harper and Kevin Anderson lead Richmond in scoring, while they rotate in and out eight players. They'll get Vanderbilt in the first round, who has seemed to always lose as a four or five seed to begin the tournament the last few years.

- Michigan State: Never, ever count a Tom Izzo-coached team in March. This isn't the same team as the past two squads, who each made the Final Four, but they're still a threat just because they are on the bracket. Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers have been great throughout their careers in East Lansing and don't want to end them on a sour note, but the team still misses Korie Lucious, who was kicked off in late January.

Don't bother taking...

- (15) Long Island over (2) North Carolina: This is not a redux of Robert Morris/Villanova from last season. North Carolina is a much better team than last year's Wildcat squad and Long Island comes into this game with zero tournament experience, while last year's Colonials fell by 15 to eventual 2008 runner-up Michigan State. The Tar Heels have probably one of the best front courts in the nation with Tyler Zeller and John Henson and they'll give Long Island's strong frontcourt trouble all game. It might be close for a little while, but eventually Carolina will pull away.

- (14) Bucknell over (3) Connecticut: I thought this could be another 2006 Syracuse situation; a team rides a hot guard throughout the Big East tournament, then falls in the opening round. However, it's not going to be. Yes, Bucknell beat Richmond and played close with Boston College, but they also lost to two NEC teams and the Patriot League isn't very strong. I just can't see Kemba letting Connecticut slip up here.

- (14) St. Peter's over (3) Purdue: Purdue is very battle-tested and knows how to win in the NCAA Tournament, while the Peacocks of St. Peter's are a surprise automatic bid. Yes, they beat some good teams like Alabama and Long Island, but they were also held to just 30 points in a loss at Robert Morris and watching that game live, I thought they were just awful.

- (12) Utah State over (5) Kansas State: Utah State's record looks very sexy, but if you look into it more, you'll see their underlying flaw; they haven't beaten anyone. They were destroyed by Georgetown and lost to BYU by six, then played dominated a weak conference. Kansas State on the other hand, seems to be hitting their stride at the right time, winning their last eight games that didn't involve Colorado. Jacob Pullen was great in last year's big dance and Curtis Kelly is a load inside.

First Round Predictions...

- (11) Marquette over (6) Xavier

- (9) Tennessee over (8) Michigan

- (11) Missouri over (6) Cincinnati

- (10) Penn State over (7) Temple

- (12) Richmond over (5) Vanderbilt

- (11) USC/VCU winner over (6) Georgetown

- (9) Old Dominion over (8) Butler

- (13) Belmont over (4) Wisconsin

- (11) Gonzaga over (6) St. John's

- (10) Michigan State over (7) UCLA

Sweet 16 Predictions...

- (1) Ohio State over (4) Kentucky

- (3) Syracuse over (2) North Carolina

- (5) Arizona over (1) Duke

- (2) San Diego State over (3) Connecticut

- (1) Kansas over (4) Louisville

- (3) Purdue over (2) Notre Dame

- (5) Kansas State over (1) Pittsburgh

- (2) Florida over (3) BYU

Elite Eight Predictions...

- (1) Ohio State over (3) Syracuse

- (2) San Diego State over (5) Arizona

- (1) Kansas over (3) Purdue

- (5) Kansas State over (2) Florida

Final Four Predictions...

- (1) Ohio State over (2) San Diego State

- (1) Kansas over (5) Kansas State

National Championship Prediction...

- (1) Kansas 73, (1) Ohio State 70

LASERS review.

Album cover taken from sidewalkhustle.com.

Before I dive into this review, let me state something. I am not, nor have ever been a Lupe Fiasco fan. I enjoy a few songs of his and respect his actual skills as a rapper, but to me he just doesn't make very enjoyable music. I've listened to both his albums before copping his third release, LASERS, and although I was impressed with the rhymes and lyrics throughout those CDs, I could always point out a flaw or two in the actual song which severely affected by enjoyability.

With all of that being said, I did make the decision to review this album a few months ago while the drama between Lupe and Atlantic Records was a major headline in hip-hop. I blocked out my bias and went into this album with a clear mind, in hopes of finally enjoying Lupe, not only as a rapper, but as an overall artist.

What I got in return was an abortion of a product. Garbage hooks, extremely weak production; most of this album was just a worse version of what I've heard from Lupe over the last few years. There were exceptions and I will get to them, but you can tell that Atlantic Records did have their hands in the creation of the final project.

However, not everything should be blamed on the record label; Lupe definitely deserves part of the backlash. An album I want to use in comparison is one that was delayed five years before its release last month; The Greatest Story Never Told by Saigon. Although I haven't officially did a track-by-track review of it yet, it's second on my list of hip-hop/R&B albums this year so far behind Frank Ocean's Nostalgia, ULTRA.

In Saigon's case, his former record label (which ironically was Atlantic Records) didn't want to release his debut major release because not enough of the songs were commercial. Instead of giving into the masses at the label, Saigon eventually got his release, found a different label that would release his album and it has gained plenty of praise throughout the hip-hop community. Obviously the circumstances are different in regards to Lupe's fanbase and the demand of LASERS, but there's no saying he could have held out for a release so he could release the album in its own way.

The problem with Lupe is that he should have known what he was going into when signing with a major record label. With his old label, 1st and 15th Entertainment, he had the freedom to do whatever because not only was he the co-founder, but he was the main attraction. On Atlantic, he wasn't going to be the top dog ever, which would allow the leniency he wanted for his music. He's the one who put himself in this position, especially with all the speaking out against the label that he did. I'm happy he stood up for himself, but you know with all the negative comments he made towards the label would end up affecting his music in the end. The victim card he's pulling in every article now is pretty annoying though.

Anyways, this is an album review and not a rant about Lupe Fiasco, so let's get to reviewing LASERS, shall we?

"Letting Go" leads off the adventure and it's a decent song, but what knocks it down is the distortion effect in his verses. Lupe said in an interview that the label wanted him to be Kanye, but he couldn't and it showed because this is nothing like Kanye's distortion effect on "Gorgeous". It's actually pretty tough to hear at times, even with good headphones. Sarah Green should have gotten the hook duties, not Lupe.

"Words I Never Said" has a clear message and good hook, making it one of the best songs from the album. The production by Alex Da Kid is mediocre at best and he continues to show me his deficiencies as a producer, but luckily the verses make up for it, especially the shorter third one. I am a fan of Skylar Gray's hooks, but not to the point where I would willingly check out her albums.

"Till I Get There" is simply just okay. The simple beat just doesn't work for me in terms to Lupe's rapping but for an other artist, I think it would be better suited. The lyrics are nothing special though. "I Don't Wanna Care Right Now" is an absolute abortion and is coming to a Jersey Shore soundtrack near you. Everything just sucks about it.

"Out Of My Head" is a song that Lupe actually wanted for the album, as he teams up with record labelmate Trey Songz. This, like "Till I Get There", is simply just okay, but gets a notch up because of Trey Songz's hook. The lyrics aren't special and frankly I find it weird hearing Lupe rapping about women. "The Show Goes On" was the first single and I hated it at first, but it has slightly grown on me. The "Float On" sample is an okay touch, I guess.

"Beautiful Lasers (2Ways)" would be the best song on the album, if it weren't for another horrendous hook. I like the lyrics to the actual hook, but the group or person MDMA just sounds terrible and makes it tough to listen closely to the actual words. This song documents Lupe's suicidal thoughts while going through the process of making this album, which I actually didn't know about before listening.

"Coming Up" is catchy, has a good MDMA hook for once and is a decent song overall. What I want to briefly touch on after listening to all of MDMA's hooks is that I really miss Matthew Santos in these spots. One of my favorite Lupe songs, "Shining Down" (which is a bonus track on the album, but I don't review bonus tracks), is brought to a higher pinnacle because of Santos' hook. "State Run Radio" has another horrible hook and is more bashing of the media and the government.

I'm feeling Lupe's verses on "Break The Chain" even though they're not the most lyrical, but the hook is just...I shouldn't even have to say it. And who is this Sway character; the guy from MTV? "All Black Everything" has some good production and even a good hook, but honestly by now I'm tired of the government bashing and history lessons. It seems like he's doing this on every other song and frankly (not trying to be racist), the subject matter isn't going to hit me like it would an African-American listener. I completely respect their heritage and everything they've gone through, but in a song it's just not an enjoyable listen.

Atlantic Records does something right in the last song, "Never Forget You", a somber closing track dedicated to his father. Lupe reminisces on his time growing up, while John Legend delivers a powerful hook and wins the irrelevant award for best guest spot on the album. The production is again shaky, but the rest of the song makes up for it.

LASERS is not a good album and it definitely doesn't live up to the hype it was getting, but like a lot of mediocre projects you can find some gems here and there. Songs like "Letting Go", "Words I Never Said", "Out Of My Head", "Beautiful Lasers (2Ways)" and "Never Forget You" are going to be played by me a bit in the near future, but the overall LP itself is just very forgettable.

1.) Letting Go (ft. Sarah Green) | 3 - 3.75

2.) Words I Never Said (ft. Skylar Grey) | 4

3.) Till I Get There | 3 - 3.25

4.) I Don't Wanna Care Right Now (ft. MDMA) | .25 - 1

5.) Out Of My Head (ft. Trey Songz) | 3 - 3.75

6.) The Show Goes On | 2 - 2.5

7.) Beautiful Lasers (2Ways) (ft. MDMA) | 4 - 4.75

8.) Coming Up (ft. MDMA) | 3 - 3.5

9.) State Run Radio (ft. Matt Mahaffey) | 1.5 - 2

10.) Break The Chain (ft. Eric Turner & Sway) | 2 - 2.25

11.) All Black Everything | 2.25 - 3

12.) Never Forget You (ft. John Legend) | 4.5 - 5

Overall: 2.97/5

2011 NEC Tournament Preview.

Image taken from RMUColonials.com.

It’s that time of the year again; March Madness is upon us. The NEC tournament kicks off on Thursday with the four top seeds Long Island, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris and Central Connecticut State hosting first-round playoff games. The second round will be played on Sunday at the higher seed’s home arena, then the championship game will be next Wednesday on ESPN2. Over the past few years, this conference tournament has brought a lot of surprises and close finishes, and this year’s shouldn’t be any different.

1.) Long Island (24-5, 16-2 NEC)

The best team I’ve watched live in the NEC this year, Long Island comes into the conference tournament as the top seed by some margin. They’re a balanced team that has four players averaging more than 10 points a game. Their two big men, Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere, are a sophomore and junior and have been making a living on the boards, as the Blackbirds team is ranked third in the country with 42.1 rebounds a game.

Long Island doesn’t have many weaknesses. In their two conference losses (home vs. Robert Morris, @ St. Francis (PA)), they shot poorly from the field in one and went 12-26 from the charity stripe in the other. Besides that, 11 of their 16 conference wins have been from double-digits. It’ll be tough to slow them down and it’s no shock that they’re my favorite to secure the NEC’s automatic NCAA bid.

2.) Quinnipiac (21-8, 13-5 NEC)

The pre-season favorite, Quinnipiac went through a stretch of games without their best player, senior forward Justin Rutty, and that might have made them even better coming into Thursday’s game. Besides Rutty, the Bobcats are led on the offensive end by junior guard James Johnson, who goes off every single time he plays Robert Morris (28 points @ RMU in 2010, 38 points vs. RMU in 2011). He has one of the best shots in the conference and when he’s hot, watch out.

Quinnipiac comes into the tournament riding a six-game winning streak, but their only win against a tournament team in that stretch was a 68-67 decision over Central Connecticut. The lack of competition at the end of their schedule could hurt them and cause a slip-up in the opening round game, but then again their battle-tested after last year’s run in the tournament. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the NCAA’s.

3.) Robert Morris (16-13, 12-6)

My future alma mater, Robert Morris, has been an up and down team all season who has finally hit their stride it seems. They’ll be without their best player and last year’s favorite NCAA tournament guard with a mohawk, sophomore Karon Abraham, as he was lost for the remainder of the season after the Monmouth game with an Achilles injury. However, redshirt freshman Coron Williams (ironic first name, right?) has done a good job stepping in place for Abraham, and he recently just came off a career-high 26 points in a win against Wagner.

Another team coming into the tournament with a six-game winning streak, Robert Morris also looks like they’re going to do damage in the tournament. Their guard play is the strength of the team, as redshirt sophomore Velton Jones has done a great job taking over as the leader, while Williams joins senior Gary Wallace and freshman Anthony Myers as sparkplugs. Lijah Thompson has been a surprise at forward, but he’s still too inconsistent. The X-factor for the Colonials is redshirt sophomore Russell Johnson, who at times looks like the NEC’s best player but suffers from a lot of offensive and defensive lapses. Could this be a third straight trip to the NCAA tournament for the Colonials? I really hope, but I’m not going to crown them as the favorite.

4.) Central Connecticut State (18-11, 11-7 NEC)

This team has the likely conference player of the year in redshirt junior forward Ken Horton, but they have been struggling mightily lately. To be fair, they have had to play three tournament teams in a row, but they were one of the best teams in the NEC all season and should know how to play up to tougher competition. Junior Robby Ptacek and senior Shemik Thompson can get hot at any time, and if all three players are stroking it, this team is extremely tough to beat.

I can see the Blue Devils winning the entire tournament, but it also wouldn’t surprise me if they lost in the first round. That’s how inconsistent they’ve been lately. Usually getting hot means a lot going into the tournament, but then again Robert Morris went into March riding a two-game losing streak and ended up securing the automatic bid. Flip a coin to see if you want to name them a favorite, or an early exit.

5.) St. Francis (NY) (15-14, 10-8 NEC)

As long as they have Ricky Cadell, they’ll be a tough out for whoever they match up with. Cadell has only really been shut down by Long Island, but yet they competed in both of those games. Fellow senior Akeem Bennett gives the Terriers a one-two duo that matches up with any other duo in the conference. After their first six players, they don’t get much offensive production, so that’s a definite concern heading into the tournament.

St. Francis (NY) won’t be a player to win it all, but they can definitely knock off Central Connecticut in the first round, especially after recently beating them 75-65 at home. Cadell can carry a team and keep them in a game and if junior forward Stefan Perunicic gets hot from outside, that’ll open up so much more of their offense, but it all depends which team shows up.

6.) Wagner (13-16, 9-9 NEC)

Dan Hurley has done an incredible job turning around a Wagner team picked to be 11th in the conference during pre-season. The Seahawks rely on two guards for most of their points; junior Tyler Murray and freshman Latif Rivers. Murray can hit from any part of the gym while Rivers does it all on the court. Fellow junior Chris Martin was suspended for last Saturday’s game at Robert Morris, but he’s also had his big games throughout the season.

This guard-oriented team can possibly cause an upset, but like Central Connecticut, they come in cold with four straight losses. Their big men are the weak spot of the team, so a team like Quinnipiac or Long Island should have their way with them if they were to match up later in the rounds.

7.) Mount St. Mary’s (11-20, 9-9 NEC)

This year’s Mountaineer squad is no where as dangerous as last year’s bunch, but they can definitely catch Quinnipiac in a first-round upset. They fell to the Bobcats in December after a last-second James Johnson basket, then went on to beat them at home by nine points. Senior forward Shawn Atupem has been a huge disappointment this season, but he still has the skillset to burn someone in this tournament, while junior guard Lamar Trice showed me a lot when they played the Colonials last week.

If you shut down Atupem, you’ve got Mount St. Mary’s beat. This is not a deep team at all offensively and usually rely on Atupem and Trice for most of their baskets. Freshman guard Julian Norfleet looks like he can be a pretty good player in the future, but he’s been shaky on the big stage so far with only three double-digit point games against NEC tournament teams. Their aforementioned success against Quinnipiac this season could make them a trendy pick for a first-round upset, but don’t take them farther than that.

8.) St. Francis (PA) (9-20, 7-11 NEC)

Poor Bryant; it’s unfortunate for them that they beat almost every top team in the conference and are still left out of the tournament because they’re not eligible until 2013. That gives the Red Flash a crack at pulling the first eight over one seed upset in NEC tournament history, but don’t count on it despite a win against Long Island this season. Sophomore guard Umar Shannon is a very good player and looks like another Devin Sweetney type for St. Francis, but after their starting five, they don’t have much production.

Shannon is the key in order for the Red Flash to catch Long Island sleeping. If he starts off hot, it’ll be a dog fight to the end, but he can also start off ice cold and put his team in a huge hole. Even though fellow sophomores Will Felder and Chris Johnson give them a nice nucleus for the future, this is the present and they’re going into the tournament extremely overmatched. Good luck.

PREDICTIONS

#1 Long Island over #8 St. Francis (PA)

#2 Quinnipiac over #7 Mount St. Mary’s

#3 Robert Morris over #6 Wagner

#5 St. Francis (NY) over #4 Central Connecticut

#1 Long Island over #5 St. Francis (NY)

#3 Robert Morris over #2 Quinnipiac

#1 Long Island over #3 Robert Morris

Long Island has consistently been the best team this season and I don’t see them slipping up. They’ll give whoever they match up with in the NCAA Tournament an absolute fit.

Nostalgia, Ultra review.

Album cover taken from Frank Ocean's tumblr: http://frankocean.tumblr.com/

The group OFWGKTA (Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All) is blowing up in the hip-hop community. After ringleader Tyler, The Creator and Hodgy Beats took the stage at the Jimmy Fallon show and delievered an exciting performance, the group has been getting a lot more buzz and even received some praise from artists like Mos Def, Lupe Fiasco and ?uestlove.

Most of their music has dark and disturbing subject matter, reminisicent to Slim Shady Eminem. Tyler and Earl Sweatshirt play the psycho killer/rapist card more than anyone else in the group, while Hodgy Beats and Domo Genesis don't go as far. However, a lot of groups have their one "black sheep" and Odd Future is no different, with R&B artist Frank Ocean.

Before downloading Frank Ocean's free debut album Nostalgia, Ultra, I only knew of him from a few hooks off of MellowHype's (Hodgy Beats and producer Left Brain) BLACKENEDWHITE album. I couldn't get a good read on his talent with two sample sizes and frankly, I felt that he seemed a little out of place there. But as my interest of the group in general grew, I decided to give Ocean's album a download and went into my first listening session with no expectations.

Then one listen turned to two, two turned to three and so on. In one day, I've listened to this album front to back seven times and wished I would have downloaded it as soon as it came out. It's left me shocked, awed and a little confused as I wonder how someone like Ocean would find himself in a group like Odd Future. The "black sheep" produced one of the best releases I've heard so far in this early year.

The album starts with the sound of someone changing tapes, which leads into the first song, "Strawberry Swing". A lot of people will immediately recognize this as a Coldplay song; which I didn't at first, because I'm admittedly not a Coldplay fan. Ocean sings about the good times he's had in his life and feels like they'll come to an end soon with the eventual destruction of the world. Honestly, if the show Laguna Beach was still on TV, I'd say this would be a shoe-in for the soundtrack.

"Novacane" is not only a drug dentists use during operation to numb the pain, but it's also the second full song from the album. The woman Ocean has sexual relations with gets him into smoking and he compares their love to the drug. "We All Try", which is probably my second favorite song from the album, is about what Ocean believes and don't believes in. I feel like his vocals are at his peak on this song, especially at the beginnings of the first and second verses.

After another interlude, the next song comes up. "Songs For Women" is about his relationship with one woman and how she never recognized his vocal talents. People around him would ask him if he sang songs to get women, but he's saying throughout the song that it doesn't work. "Lovecrimes" is an up-beat track that is about the sexual relations Ocean and his woman have.

Another change of the tapes commences, before the "There Will Be Tears" comes through your speakers. Beginning with a sample from Mr. Hudson's track with the same name, the beat then speeds up while Ocean reminisces on how his father was never in his life and how it affected him worse than other people he knew that went through the same thing.

"Swim Good" is about Ocean attempting suicide by driving his car into the ocean after his woman left him, while "Dust" is a shorter track about him wiping away his memories (or them turning into dust) about a past relationship. The latter is the only song I'm not feeling that much through a few listens, but that is followed up by the best one on the album.

It's hard enough to sing karaoke to The Eagles' classic song, "Hotel California". But to compose your own song to the same beat and for it to sound incredible? That's tough. Nonetheless, Ocean does it with "American Wedding". The theme of the song is about a teenage relationship that ends up in marriage, followed up eventually by divorce. He says that most relationships end up like this nowadays in America, which is absolutely the truth; too many couples rush into marriage and it almost never works out due to various reasons.

One more interlude come and goes, then the final track plays. "Nature Feels" is probably the most relatable song to the rest of Odd Future's work, at least from a subject matter standpoint, but it's not even that "bad". Sex in the wild is the theme, as Ocean compares himself both to Adam from the Bible and a caveman. The song and album then finally ends the way it started; by the sounds of someone changing a tape out.

Nostalgia, Ultra, like I mentioned earlier, is one of the best releases of this early year. The production throughout the album is both great and at times very recognizable, and although Ocean still has a way to go to be a premiere vocalist (he's a good singer, but can expand on his range), the singing itself is very good as well. It's definitely different from the killing cops and raping women subject matter Odd Future is known for, but this "black sheep" stands out among his peers both from that standpoint and a talent standpoint.

1.) Street Fighter | 2.75 - 3

2.) Strawberry Swing | 4 - 4.75

3.) Novacane | 4.5 - 5

4.) We All Try | 4.75 - 5

5.) Bitches Talkin' | 3

6.) Songs For Women | 4 - 4.5

7.) Lovecrimes | 4 - 4.5

8.) Goldeneye | 2.5 - 3

9.) There Will Be Tears | 3.75 - 4

10.) Swim Good | 4.25 - 5

11.) Dust | 3

12.) American Wedding | 5

13.) Soul Calibur | 2.5 - 3

14.) Nature Feels | 4 - 4.25

Overall: 3.89/5

DOWNLOAD: Nostalgia, Ultra - Frank Ocean

The Mike Munchak era has begun.

First off, congrats to the Green Bay Packers and my favorite player in the league, Aaron Rodgers. That was an unbelievable performance last night and definitely one of the best I've seen in my lifetime. It's also a lot easier to go to class here at Robert Morris now. However, the more notable news for me and other Titans fans was caught up in the Super Bowl hangover today. We finally have a new head coach.

As most of us expected, offensive line coach Mike Munchak was named the new Tennessee Titans head coach over other leading candidates Perry Fewell (Giants defensive coordinator) and Mike Mularkey (Falcons offensive coordinator). I admittedly wanted Fewell over the other two candidates, but I'm still satisfied with Munchak.

My biggest doubt that lied with Munchak was simple: was he going to be too much like former head coach Jeff Fisher? After coaching under the NFL's longest-tenured coach since 1997, it's definitely a possibility that Munchak would find him as a major influence for his coaching style. But after watching his press conference today at 4:00 PM (EST), that doubt was pushed aside and I now believe he was the best choice for the position, and not just a cheap hire like a few people have been making this out to be.

"I know what we are doing well, and I know what we need to change."

He realizes the Titans' strengths and the weaknesses. The running game was still one of the best in the league this past season, despite Chris Johnson falling well short from his 2500-yard prediction. Kenny Britt, Daamian Williams and Jared Cook are very promising young talents that can make plays when they catch the ball. The team is missing a quarterback, but Munchak said he would evaluate the ones coming out in the draft to see if there's a franchise guy out there. There's a good bit of work to do to the defense, which makes the defensive coordinator hire almost as important as this one. We can't afford to go through another Chuck Cecil experience.

"We can win a Super Bowl with this offensive line."

This quote worried me slightly, but Munchak has been one of the best offensive line coaches in the league so I trust his judgment. What I would love to see is for Fernando Velsaco and Kevin Matthews to get a shot at starting from day one next season. Matthews, who is the son of NFL Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews (who is rumored for the now open Titans offensive line coach), played extremely well in the finale against the Indianapolis Colts, save the fumble at the end. Fernando Velsaco helped the team have one of their best days on the ground against Dallas, in his first extensive action after an Eugene Amano injury. I've never been a fan of Amano, but switching him and Leroy Harris on the line away from their regular positions was a horrendous move by Fisher. (I could rant about how Fisher had too much power over the past few seasons, but I don't want to take away from the main focus of this post.)

"I will not let you guys down."

It's a cliche quote, but I love Munchak's confidence. He's an intense guy who will demand everything out of his players, but he's not a drill sargent. He expects professionalism from his players, which is what us Titans fans needs after dealing with the Vince Young drama and the Pac-Man Jones strip club incident years ago. He wants his players to be disciplined, which is huge for me, because one of the most frustrating things over the past few seasons was the given Tony Brown/Cortland Finnegan personal foul penalty and the numerous off-sides calls.

Oh, and he's a Penn State guy and listed his biggest influence as Joe Paterno. How can I not love that?

There are plenty of other quotes I can post and dive deeper into, but you get the picture. Munchak said all the right things, didn't avoid questions a la Fisher, and is committed to get the Titans back in the right direction. I'm very confident he will do just that and I'm extremely happy he is the Titans' new head coach.

Congrats Mike Munchak. Now let's get back to the 1999-2003 days.

2010 mixtape rankings (25-11).

Over 2010, I listened to 25 hip-hop/R&B mixtapes (actually it's probably more than that, but I only rated 25). As 2011 is before us, I decided to go back and rank the mixtape from 25 to 1 and give descriptions as of why I felt a certain way about an album. If I rated the mixtape before, the previous rating is beside the new score.

25-11 will be listed now, then I'll release the top 10 mixtapes and finally the top 10 albums, before finishing off with some imaginary awards that all these artists would love to win.

With that being said, let's get to 25-11 from the album section.

25.) Sam Adams - Party Records Mixtape | 3.20
- I'm not a fan of many of the beats from this (besides "Hold On", that entire song is great) but you'll find some gems here if you're a fan from Sam Adams. Along with the aforementioned "Hold On", "Share Your Dolla", "Heads Will Roll", "Frat Music" and "I'm On" are solid. This doesn't compare to his debut LP however, nor does it compare to the other mixtape he released this year.









24.) Los - Shooter | 3.50
- Los is one of my favorite unsigned guys out there at the moment, but there's a reason why he's still unsigned; I don't feel like he can create his own project. What I mean by that is that I don't feel like he can make something great out of original beats instead of just freestyles like Zero Gravity. There are some great tracks onhere, especially the "Stand The Rain" intro and actual song but I can't put up with Los on some of these beats. Maybe better production would help, but right now I classify him as strictly a mixtape rapper.






23.) Trey Songz - Murder He Wrote III | 3.52
- I'm honestly not sure if this is an official mix-tape or not; leaning towards not. Oh well, I still listened to it in its entirety and didn't find anything over the top about it, but it's a solid listen nonetheless. "Invented Sex (Remix)" with Usher and Keri Hilson is a nice re-do to the original on Ready.











t-21.) T.I. - F*** A Mixtape | 3.58
- T.I. dropped a solid mix-tape to build anticpation for the release of King Uncaged later on in the fall. "Spazz Out" is the tape's best song, but I wish he would have subbed out some of these songs to save for No Mercy. F*** a mixtape? No, f*** your album.












t-21.) Sam Adams - Boston's Opening Day | 3.58
- "I Hate College (Remix)" was the song that started it all for young Sam Adams, but that's not the only standout track. "Kimber (RIP)" is a nice tribute to a friend who he lost while "Opening Day" is one of my favorites from his entire catalog. This is just as good of a listen as the debut album and a better listen than the other mixtape, but it's nothing outstanding.










20.) Trey Songz - #lemmeholdatbeat | 3.63
- Trey released his mix-tape just a few months after the release of his album in September. The opening stretch with "Runaway", "Fuck Wit You No More" and "Aston Martin Music" is great, but there are some major weak spots as well. I never want to hear Trey trying to rap over an original Nas song like "Hate Me Now" again.










t-18.) B.o.B - May 25th | 3.69
- For so long, the title of this mix-tape confused me cause I listened to it after B.o.B's debut album. Apparently May 25th was supposed to be the release date for The Adventures of Bobby Ray, but it was eventually moved up a month. There's some good songs on here and I love the guest features in J. Cole, Asher Roth and Charles Hamilton.










t-18.) Mac Miller - K.I.D.S. | 3.69
- This was the first full project I listened to from Miller and left impressed. The young rapper from Pittsburgh has limited subject matter (which should improve with time) but putting it in comparison to Boston's Boy by another young, white rapper, it does what it's intended to do. Mac's flow at the start of the second verse of "Don't Mind If I Do" is nice.










17.) Royce da 5'9 - The Bar Exam 3: The Most Interesting Man In The World | 3.70
- The third volume to the Bar Exam series is another good one, as Royce rips up any original beat you throw at him. The tracklist is a little too long and I feel like there's some filler, but for those songs that aren't filler, Royce continues to say things that have you shaking your head (in a good way obviously). The theme of the entire tape was a nice touch as well.








16.) B.o.B - No Genre | 3.73
- I found myself hating a good bit of the production on here, and yet it still got a generally high score. "Beast Mode" is a great opening song, but the tape's highlight easily goes to "Feet Don't Fail Me Now", as it's one of my favorite songs of 2010.












15.) Asher Roth - Seared Foie Gras With Quince And Cranberry | 3.80
- Roth has always had talent, showcased by his first mix-tape, The Greenhouse Effect. After a disappointing debut album, Asher came back with a vengeance with this mix-tape. The production is awesome throughout the tape, while my personal favorites are "Rik Smits" and "Sour Patch Kids (Remix)", in which Roth goes toe-to-toe with heavyweights like Blu and Talib Kweli.








14.) XV - 30 Minute Layover | 3.82
- Just 10 actual tracks, this is more than a mini-mixtape than anything, but it's still pretty good. Freestyles over original beats like "This Plane", "Nothin' On You" and "Drop The World" (named "Lift The Game" on the tracklist) are the tape's highlights, but with it being such a short project, you can get through the entire thing without finding something bad.









13.) Diggy Simmons - Airborne | 3.85
- I'll just leave this review to one line: The final track, "Great Expectations", is a perfect ending because Diggy should have great expectations; especially when he puts together something like this as a 15-year old.












12.) Los - The Louis Vuitton Gift Pack | 3.86
-This isn't an official mix-tape really, but Los did put it together so I'll count it. Some great freestyles here, especially on "Monster", "Dark Fantasy" and "6'7". My favorite would be "Fall For Your Type" though because he speaks about a potential deal that fell through without actually mentioning it until the end. However, there's two songs with original beats and they're the two worst on the tape; what a surprise.








11.) Fashawn - Ode To Illmatic | 3.90
- This would be up in the top 10 list if it weren't for the actual copy of Illmatic being out there. I don't hate on Fashawn for going over the classic production, but I rather listen to the original than an updated version. Still, the California rapper shouldn't be ashamed because it's a very entertaining release.