A Message of Hope for Humanity

The STL Project: The Story of STL

ahhh...so many projects....so little time. Well this is my season folks (its AFM time), but I had to send out a little teaser for a project that will be appearing on Sanspiracy in the coming weeks titled "The STL Project" - an in depth look at the history of STL (Soundtrack to Life) and my current project "STL 11: The Best of Me" (check check it OUUUUUTTTTTTT)

If you didn't know, or couldn't tell by the blog, im a Huuuugeee music lover and I was a bit tired of listening to album after album of mostly shitting songs and then 1 or 2 songs that sorta stood out as real bangers. So the idea of STL was really born out of creating an orphanage for these songs - my virtual mixtape that inevitably served two purposes....one, it made it convenient to listen to all the songs I thought were hot on one album and two, it really captured a history of what types of music I was listening to at the time and what i was into. Early inclination of STL ranged from alternative, to rock, to house, to dub step, to R&B and beyond. But as the years past, my STL's became more of statements and I thought a lot about creating vibes and moods and really picking songs that worked well together instead of just randomly assorting a bunch of songs on an album. "STL 11: The Best of Me" is the epitome of this effort and that is why I am so proud of it. Its is essentially, the culmination of years of evolution in my musical taste as well as a bold statement for the direction that future STL's will take and most of all a celebration of the amazing new plateau that life has taken me to. I really hope you enjoy it and I can't wait to delve deeper into "STL 11: The Best of Me" and give you not only a closer look at the music, but a closer look at yours truly.

20 Years Later Boyz II Men Prove they still have that "IT" Factor

Its hard to believe that Boyz II Men have been in the game for 20 Years but its even harder to fathom for about half of that....Boyz II men have been somewhat dormant on the musical landscape. The "Motown Philly" crooners had a well documented line up shake up when original member Michael McCary left the group in 2003 for health issues. But even so, its seemed like the group could never ever reached the heights that their musical career took them in the 90's as the premiere R&B quartet.

for most of the 00's it seemed that Boyz II men had been reduced to a cover band. Creating album after album of songs about seasons and trite, uninspired remakes of classics with the bands typical croonings and spot on harmonies. Their talent was simply not enough to elevate their material. So when I came across "20" - the bands double CD homage to their 20 year in the game, the acknowledgment came with a side eye and a passing iota of interest. When I discovered that the Album contained 12 tracks of brand new music, my soul perked up in the hopes of receiving something in the vein of say "II" - arguable the bands most commercially embraced album and most classic.

Listening to "20" i had a sort of revelation about the group. Exactly why are they not as popular now as when the were in the 90's. "20" seems to pick up exactly where "II" left off and its amazing that, vocally, the group sounds as fresh and polished as they did back then. Its also a testament to the integrity of the group that 20 years later, none have appeared on "Celebrity Rebab" have had extensive run ins with the law, had their financial dealings aired out in the media, developed coke habits, or had public baby mama drama. So I guess that answers my question...lol. Even still "20" is a solid collection of tracks and to boot, the CD contains a second disc of classics that I could have done without, but that many Boyz II Men fans will appreciate.

Stands outs on the album include "Put Some Music On" an airy, moody, sexy midtempo romantic jawn, "Slowly" a slightly kinkier version of "I'll make love to you" and "Will You be There" a vocally bombastic, midtempo stunner. All in all, its good though to see that Boyz II Men have a lot of music still left in them - this is pure R&B. No gimmicks, no autotune, in fact, listening to "20" is a painful reminder of how far music has fallen off. Gone are the days when artist were required to have talent, gone are the days when a specific sound was created for artist, gone are the days when artist actually brought something to the table. Which inevitably answers my original question. Boyz II Men will probably never be as big as they once were because the machine is no longer in place to elevate them to those heights. The industry, at best, has a passing interest in populating the landscape with R&B groups and of the new ones, none could still light a candle to the talent and success of Boyz II Men. In essence, these cats just haven't had their just due as musical legends who have pioneered a long track in music and influenced generations of new and up and coming artist.

But the music just hasn't died and if anything "20" makes a bold statement about the group and their potential for future greatness. If at any time, music returns to the integrity and inspiration it held dear in the 90's, then Boyz II Men is surely waiting in the wings to dust off their crowns and claim their former glory. Past, present and future.

J*Dave is the "Queen of Wonderland" but Where the Hell is "New Designer Drug" Yo

J Davey sure know how to drop a dope beat and lyric every now and again....and i for one am tired of the mixtapes and randon "exclusive" single here and there (not really, id take it all gladly). I need a damn meal from these cats and not an appetizer...lol. Well until "New Designer Drug" get a release date, which we hope happens in the next 7 years, then Let Ms. Davey's act as the mistress of ceremonies for your eyeballs in the above clip.

No Presenting STL 11: The Best of Me

"Soundtrack to Life 11 - The Best of Me" [thanks for being patient folks....once you take a gander you will understand that it was well worth the wait...enjoy]
==> DOWNLOAD<==

Tracklisting
1. Range - True Love
2. Eric Roberson feat Chubb Rock - Summertime Anthem
3. Mark de Clive-Lowe Feat Nia Andrews - The Why
4. Theophilus London & Jesse Boykins III - Ooos and Ahhs
5. Timbaland Ft. Chris Brown - Naked
6. Britney Spears - Trip to Your Heart
7. Theophilus London feat Devonte Hynes - Century Girl
8. 1-O.A.K. - Rewind
9. Usher - You're So Fire
10. Chris Brown (Feat. Parlay Starr and Tyga) - Like You
11. Dezaray Dawn - Chameleon (Applejac's Sounds Of Mecca remix)
12. Tiron & Ayomari - If I Had You
13. Deborah Bond - 5:35
14. Jesse Boykins III - Sexy
15. Jazmine Sullivan - Take Over You
16. Electric Empire - Baby Your Lovin
17. ReneeDion - Nothing
18. Theophilus London - TNT

Taking the Time To Smile (You may think its silly article...but there is some real talk here)

It's amazing how Smiling (sincerely) can make you feel better. And Smiling often leads to laughing, which can create a sense of JOY, which results in a natural relief from stress. In fact, that IS a simple, effective Stress Relief formula - Smile More, and really mean it.

But what makes you Smile? What makes you Laugh?
What makes you feel JOY?

Even if you don’t know the answer to any of those questions, think about this for a minute - There's a lot of medical documentation today that confirms how smiling, laughing and feeling Joy definitely relieves stress, makes you healthier, and can help you live a longer, happier life.

For example, when you smile and laugh, the brain produces endorphins which are chemicals inside your body that (when released) help relieve physical and emotional stress, and thus, create a feeling of well-being. Since stress is attributed to a host of illnesses (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and many more), this "smiling often" stress-relief process can greatly enhance your health. But....that works ONLY if your Smile is real and comes from inside you, not just on the surface.

So, what does it take to make you Really Smile and feel some Joy?

A Real, Genuine Smile is an involuntary response. You can't fake a Real Smile that comes from inside you. A real smile is created by certain stimuli such as a genuinely happy thought, memory or sound, or from seeing something funny/inspiring or from touching something that makes you feel good. If such a stimulus affects you in a special way, that smile and sense of well-being happens automatically - and it Feels Good.

Have you ever noticed how incredibly easy it is for little kids to smile and laugh? It just naturally comes from the depths of their being. Little kids have hair triggers when it comes to smiling and laughing. And – Oh My God – we adults were once like that. Yes, we were! We smiled and laughed very easily and felt JOY, and had little or no stress in our lives. So, what happened? Why is growing up often the ticket to smiling Less, laughing Less, feeling little or no JOY in your life, and feeling More Stress?

Now, you may be an adult who finds that smiling, laughing and feeling Joyful is easy for you. And as a result, you may not feel very much stress in your life. If so, you are very blessed. Congratulations! But what about the many millions of people who don’t find it so easy to smile, laugh, and feel Joy, but instead, feel lots of stress? Well, the Question to them is:

Do you actually ALLOW yourself to Smile and feel Joy?

Are you so caught up with the In's and Out's, the trials and tribulations of your daily life, that you leave no room for Smiling and feeling Joy? To feel those things, you have to give yourself permisson to do so. Otherwise, you build a hard shell around you, and you become indifferent to the wonderful stimuli that usually create Smiles and Joy.

As mentioned, a true Smile is a triggered response that can be induced by such things as a pleasant thought, a yogic or meditative experience, hiking in nature, watching birds, kayaking, running, inspiring music or art, and quite a number of other things. And these things that make us smile will often lead to a feeling of sweet JOY, and be a great relief from Stress. Ahhhhh! . . .

But you have to Open yourself to that stimuli, and let yourself Feel it. Then, you will be able to experience Joy and understand The Importance of a Smile.

"What Were You Hoping For?" Well Not a New Van Hunt Album

I've been a stan of Van Hunt's ever since his self titled debut in 2004 and his music has taken quite the trajectory from conventional R&B, to neo soul to rock to funk. Quite the genre Rebel, I liken Van Hunt to the R&B equivalent of Bjork (the very title I would categorize myself in had I explored my musical inclinations) in that his music tends to take you to the left and out of your audible comfort zone. This statement couldn't be more true about Hunt's latest offering "What Were You Hoping For", a hodgepodge of rock, punk, and funk that upon first listen can leave the listener feeling a little bit "hung out to dry" but once you get past your expectations of Hunt music, what you find here is a treasure chest of gems that fly happily and subtly under the radar.

Hunt's latest offering is truly a surprise for me. Off my radar for quite some time, Hunt has been dropping buzz singles here and there for the better part of a month or so, but it wasn't until last week that I thought to dig a little deeper and see what this cat has been up to an low and behold, the "buzz" was not all for not. Hunt's labels woes have been well documented as his move from Capital to Blue Note wielded the ominous "Popular" - an album that was shelved and later rediscovered as an underground relic for true Hunt vans. Hunt has been on record as being "devastated" by the shelving of "Popular" and seems to disappear from the landscape all together after that fallout. But the music in him has not died and it appears that Hunt has come back with a vengeance with his latest offering "What Were You Hoping For" - his clever, trippy, rebel song and middle finger to the recording industry.

If you are a fan of Hunt, then you are also a fan of the personality and wit that exist in his music. And "Hoping For" brings this trend to a rousing new level. Hunt's latest has been categorized as "darker" than his previous offerings (and it is) but in providing the proverbial middle finger to all his haters, Hunt has pulled a rabbit out of his hat and completed a nice bit of magic in subverting his audiences expectations. Song titles like "Cross Dresser, " "Watching you Go Crazy is Driving Me Insane," and "A Time Machine is My New Girlfriend" have you looking at Hunt a bit sideways, but once you dive into these offerings and get immersed in Hunts fusion of punk, rock, and country (yes country), then the offering start to border on brilliant.

"What Were You Hoping For" admittedly take a while to get use to. I have to admit, when I first heard the album a couple of days before its initial release I gave it a passing listen and then a swift dismissal as a "humph" album. But once you take the time to see what Hunt was going for, and you let the production wash over you and his lush, rich vocal arrangements, then its hard to resist "Hoping For's" charms. Van Hunt's growth as an artist is admirable, the way he challenges his audience is greatly appreciated, and I can't wait to see where this chapter takes us on his musical voyage.