29 Jun

Posted at 15:50h in Uncategorised

There was a time when Bad Boy Records were the hottest thing in Hip Hop and RnB with the likes of Biggie, Mase, Lil Kim, Faith Evans, Mary J Blige, 112 and of course Puffy/Diddy all dropping killer tracks that were storming the charts globally. The influence of the music that came from this collection of artists should not be underestimated and it could be argued that they created that Hip Hop / RnB bridge sound that we now know and love from the likes of Drake and Tinashe.

With the arrival of Neo-Soul in the late 90’s and the rising emphasis on the need for ‘real’ music with a more organic sound, along with a lot of personal problems in the lives of the Bad Boy artists, there was a rapid decline in hits, despite efforts to try and re-launch New Edition and re-vamp 112.

Rewind a few years later to last night and Diddy storms onto the BET Awards stage to remind everyone what they’ve been missing!! With a killer 10 minute tribute that saw 112, Mase, Faith Evans, Lil Kim, French Montana, Jadakiss and Pharrell performing with unmatchable energy and conviction the Bad Boy camp definitely grabbed the attention of everyone at home and in the audience (who were seriously hyped!)

There’s always a risk with throwback performances that artists might just end up proving that their time is over, luckily this was the complete opposite! Everyone looked good, sounded great and even Lil Kim was back in full force bursting up from nowhere and owning the stage. But this reunion wasn’t just about nostalgia, it serves as a reminder that Bad Roy Records made INCREDIBLE music that still sounds fresh and with the last track being a forthcoming one from Pharrell and Diddy, lets hope that Bad Boy Entertainment are coming back to conquer once again!

Click Here to Watch the Full Bad Boy Performance!

@CarlyMond

26 May

Posted at 17:24h in Uncategorised

Most of us RnB fans love to debate who’s the best in the game, who’s had the most seminal album and who has been most influential in the scene! In light of the recent Jodeci comeback Phonte (of Foreign Exchange / Little Brother) joins podcast crew ‘The Music Snobs,‘ to debate all of the above and in particular, Jodeci’s impact on the landscape of RnB.

Phonte and The Music Snob’s all seriously know their stuff when it comes to RnB! They talk about how they feel Jodeci switched it up with Phonte claiming that they made, ‘RnB acceptable for men’, they discuss the genius production skills of DeVante and Al B Sure and ask the all important question, is the Jodeci comeback a good idea?

But these music gurus don’t just discuss Jodeci, they go on to talk about the greatest one hit wonders of all time and share stories behind their music memories. Phonte is hilarious and full of passion as always and I would challenge any RnB fan not to be laughing and wanting to join the debate after the first couple of minutes!

Clink the link below to enjoy and leave your comments on Jodeci’s impact, whether or not they should have returned and who is the all time greatest RnB one hit wonder!!

@CarlyMond

https://soundcloud.com/themusicsnobs/episode-037

27 Apr

Posted at 16:16h in Blog, Carly-ann Mond

It was good news for Mariah Carey fans worldwide when she announced early this year a new deal with Epic Records and a reteaming with the legendary L.A Reid on the production of her forthcoming album.

Today she dropped the only new recording from her new upcoming Greatest Hits album (set for release 18th May) entitled, ‘Infinity‘. We all love Mariah for her incredible vocal runs, her authentic soulful ballad sound and her classic break up lyrics, all of which can be found on this new track!

With L.A Reid on production, this track really does sound like the signature Mariah sound from the 90’s is back. The question is – are the lyrics a dig at ex-husband Nick Cannon? Take a listen below and decide for yourself…

Mariah Carey – Infinity

@CarlyMond

18 Jan

Posted at 14:32h in Uncategorised

It’s been a while since we have heard any new material from Frank Ocean, then yesterday he broke his musical silence with an enchanting cover of The Isley Brothers classic, ‘At Your Best (You Are Love)‘, which he has expressed is a tribute to the late Aaliyah on what would have been her 36th Birthday.

The cover is stripped back, understated and hears Frank Ocean’s vocals sounding hotter than ever. There is no word of any other new recordings from the artist as yet, however he did sign under new management last summer so hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for that much anticipated follow up album to ‘Channel Orange‘.

@CarlyMond

Frank Ocean – At Your Best

20 Nov

Posted at 12:37h in Uncategorised

It’s been a big year for the TDE signed singer, songwriter, ‘BJ The Chicago Kid‘, starting with his collaboration on the Schoolboy Q track, ‘Studio‘ he has gone on to drop solo tracks like, ‘Real Love Never Dies‘ and ‘Perfect‘, generating critical acclaim and demand from fans for a new album.

His new E.P ‘The M.A.F.E Project‘, features 12 new tracks, boasting features from Freddie Gibson and Schoolboy Q and production credits from Da Internz and Hip Hop duo Mike & Keys (formerly ‘The Furturistiks’).

The E.P is a perfect blend of RnB and Hip Hop with a bit of Mowtown flava mixed in. BJ The Chicago Kid pays homeage in style and lyrics to the likes of Jodeci, James Brown, Aaliyah and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, whilst maintaining a freshness with his musical style. High points of ‘The M.A.F.E Project‘ are the raw and bluesy, ‘Real Love Never Dies‘ and BJ’s version of the Aaliyah classic ‘One In A Million‘ which he geniusly mixes with Jodeci’s ‘Feenin‘ making the track a must for 90’s RnB fans!

‘The M.A.F.E Project‘ has something for everyone and is definitley a highlight album of the year, you can download it for FREE via BJ The Chicago Kid’s website, click on the link below and enjoy!!

http://bjtck.com/

Carly – ann (@CarlyMond)


BJ The Chicago Kid – ‘One In A Million’