2010 mtv vma / indoob picks – best pop video

This is actually a big category, probably second to Video of the Year. Why? Because unless you forgot, Pop is short for Popular… so this would be BEST POPULAR VIDEO. Anyway, I want to say this is anyone’s chance at winning, but once again we’ve got a few of our favorites back again.

  • THIS is the video I like the most from B.o.B. “Nothing On You.” It’s bright, it’s colorful, it pops, it’s cut-paper! What video is like this? None. The song is pretty cool too. But the point here is that it’s different. I would love for this video to win but I don’t think it’s popular enough compared to the rest. But the artistic value of it I feel is quite strong.
  • Beyonce is here again with her “Video Phone” and Lady Gaga. Again, it’s poppy, it’s also colorful, the music is catchy and the video is all around weird. Camera-men? I’m glad I don’t do drugs. Truth be told, I was never too much a fan of this song or video, although I do like the craziness that goes on in it.
  • Once again, we have Katy Perry who is probably the epitome of bubblegum pop… both figurative and literal with “California Gurls.” This has been what many call the song of the summer. At first I wasn’t so sure, but it is indoob addictive… like candy. C’mon, it’s a music video of Candy Land. Sexier too. I would want this to win, and maybe it might.
  • Our friend Ke$ha is back again… I forgot she was nominated so many times. What it is I don’t like about her is the trashy glitter look. I’m not crazy about the song lyrics too. I know when it comes to having a good time, lyrics don’t always matter. I understand and respect that. Sometime it takes going to a club or hearing a song from inside of a car with a very loud sound system to remember that. But as for this video and song as is, I’ll do fine without it.
  • Who’s Lady Gaga again? And what’s this I hear about a “Bad Romance”? While I’d pull for B.o.B. or Katy Perry to win this award, I predict this is yet another win for Lady Gaga.
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Posted in awards, music video

2010 mtv vma / indoob picks – best male video

I’ve talked about the following videos before, and I only see one possible clear winner here for the BEST MALE VIDEO.

  • While I’ve said before that I think B.o.B. has a better video out there, this is probably the runner up to who I feel has the best chance of winning this category.
  • I think Eminem’s “Not Afraid” has the best chance at winning in this category against the rest of the competitors. He’s still riding on a great comeback and this video has been nominated in a few other categories, I think it has the strongest chance at winning here… possibly.
  • Drake’s “Find Your Love” has the short film approach to it, which I liked… but at the time I was watching, I was waiting for it to be over. No offense to him, though. I think it was a late night when I was watching this. The video is good and tells a good story. I’d hate to ruin the ending, but it was most unexpected. Possibly another good contender for winning this award since he is also popular and has been having a good year. While I like the approach of this video, I’m not a huge fan of it overall. But that’s just me.
  • Jason Derulo is back. Maybe this is a filler? I know people do like the song but the video isn’t that impressive to me, as I’ve said before.
  • Also, still not too impressed, as I also said before, Usher. Doing his thing. He’s great in his own way, but I don’t think he’ll win.
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Posted in awards, music video

2010 mtv vma / indoob picks – best female video

I kinda wanna save everyone the trouble and probably just pick who we all guess is going to win BEST FEMALE VIDEO. I can almost guarantee it probably won’t be Taylor Swift. If it was, I think other people besides Kanye will get up on stage to say “Imma let you finish…”

  • But let’s back up. Swift’s video is alright. It tells a sweet story of being in 15. Girls can relate and it’s all mushy and whatnot. But maybe if she wasn’t competing against Gaga, she might have a chance. Maybe
  • I’ve become a fan of the song “California Gurls” pretty much overnight. This would be a surprise upset to win, especially with so many people claiming Katy Perry is hating on Gaga. But this is just a fun and happy and colorful song, to me, this one could give the Gaga a run for her money.
  • Ke$ha is back again. My sentiments haven’t changed. This is a popular song, but the video is trash… which I think is what she was going for anyway. Sorry, I think this makes me a hater. But as of today, I can’t call myself a fan.
  • Beyonce is bringing back her “Video Phone” …with Lady Gaga. And if this doesn’t win, Lady Gaga probably still will take home the award for “Bad Romance.”
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Posted in awards, music video

2010 mtv vma / indoob picks – best hip hop video

Here we have some good hip hop videos. Or really, the BEST HIP HOP VIDEOS. I had recently told a friend about hip hop videos back in the day all having that cliché bling-bling look to them. Now? We have upped our game and we have some artistic class and style. I think it will be a good competition and I feel this is anyone’s game.

  • I will say that I do not like the choice of video from B.o.B. He’s got a better video out there, but oh well… we have to contend with “Airplanes” which I feel is a bit normal, but better than average… if that makes any kind of sense. The song is awesome though.
  • Drake & Company have a nice song here called “Forever” and each of them bring their respective talents to make a pretty good song with a pretty good video to match. I heard the song a couple times on the radio and was thinking to myself, wow, they got the hottest people in hip hop right now. I was surprised to later learn there was a video and they were all in it.
  • Eminem is also ruling the world in a way right now. This is his second chance at winning in this category. This video seems normal at first but gets interesting enough that I feel qualifies as what a music video should be. Special effects and all that gooey stuff that goes right along with his vocals. It’s like a brighter version of “I Am.” But this is about hip hop and you know that’s what Eminem is all about straight to the bone.
  • This is the video I would like to win due to the stark black and whites and striking images. I wrote a blog about it a while back. I’m glad this video is in the running because I wish music videos were more like this one. Of course, if EVERYONE started doing videos like this, they’d be accused of copying Jay-Z… but I’m just talking about show me something that captures my interest and maybe makes me think a little bit. This video is definitely On To The Next One.
  • Kid Cudi has quite a number of interesting videos out there as well. However, “Pursuit of Happiness” is my least favorite. It’s well done, though. And it’s definitely in it’s own class… well… other than the hip hop class. But I would’ve picked one of his other videos/songs for a better shot in this category.

(Check my review of this video.)

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Posted in awards, music video

2010 mtv vma / indoob picks – best dance video

There are only a couple real contenders here, and probably one clear winner. So let’s get to it. BEST DANCE MUSIC VIDEO

  • Cascada? Who are you? I’m sorry if that seems insulting, especially to someone like me who doesn’t listen to the radio… yet I hear this song at the mall sometimes. To me, this artist is an example of an industry girl. I’m making this claim without researching who she is, but she seems built by a record label to sing generic songs anyone can sing. She doesn’t even really dance! Sure, the song is popular enough that I can recognize it, and it might even get stuck in your head, but this seems to blah for me to cosign anything but just another song to play at the club.
  • David Guetta I’m not too familiar with and neither am I with the song. But most attribute the song to Akon anyway so it seems. The song itself, I’ll pass. The video? Also pass.
  • I have a few friends that love this Enrique Iglesias song. Saying the “like it” is an understatement. And it’s a catchy song, with a decent video of Enrique dancing around the club. It’s fun, but not the winner.
  • I’d say it’s a strong chance Lady Gaga will take home the award for “Bad Romance” and if I need to tell you why, then obviously you haven’t heard the song or seen the video. It goes much further than that… this is one song that I’ve seen people outside of dancing establishments… meaning their car, restaurants, in the park, doing this very dance. This could be the dance song/video of the decade.
  • Usher is a great dancer, we all know this. I watched this video a few times and while it’s not bad, I think I’ve seen him do better. I feel bad for saying that because I know a lot of people like this song. For the record, I don’t care much for the song, which is probably why I’m ho-hum for the video. But these are my opinions, folks!
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Posted in awards, music video

the little things

Photo by MP

To make a disgustingly long story shorter, I had an amazing day thanks to my friends whom I love dearly. I got to send out a package to one of them in NY this morning before I started working, so that feeling of “I can’t wait until she gets this” hit me. Then later, I find out that she sent me a package and it countered my anticipation with a brand new giddiness.

Before I could get into my work flow, my friend in Florida gives me a call and we chat for a few minutes about jobs and dreams. Specifically recent dreams we had that either made complete sense or no sense at all. It was our typical banter, but since she moved, we rarely get to have these chats. She’s also interviewing for a new job tomorrow, so I’m excited for her about that. We also discussed customer service and instead of calling to complain, start calling their superiors to let them know we enjoyed or approved the service provided.

I think we as a society don’t give enough praise to those who do a good job and are quick to point out how bad a situation or service is and are constantly looking for a refund. I think we all should start paying it forward. The trick is to also not expect anyone to pay it forward back to you… because that’s when it happens. Plan to be surprised, kids.

Between those two events (mailing the package and phone call), especially my friend calling me, began the upward lift of my day. I also had a really great cup of iced coffee that had cinnamon bun flavored cream. The cream didn’t mix well for some reason, but it was still delicious. I got a good chunk of work done, but not enough to make my quota. Plus it didn’t help that the servers were down due to a virus going around the planet. Maybe you heard about it?

Meanwhile, I was texting my NY friend about the package she sent to me and my instructions not to open it until she emailed me first. The email contained instructions and a table of contents to the following package. But it also all depended on if I was getting the package today or tomorrow. Fortunately, it was today. I have another package I was waiting for, but didn’t arrive today. Contents of that package can’t be discussed since it would reveal what I sent to her today.

What she sent me was a DVD of music. We have a strong musical and cinema bond. So even as I’m writing this, I’m listening to music she listens to regularly. So in a few days, she will have music I listen to regularly. Her package contained a bunch of other things and I feel like I have an activity kit in front of me. It’s pretty awesome and became the highlight of my day when it arrived.

I didn’t care that work was sub-par. Besides, I’ll probably go in for a little while tomorrow. While the servers were down, I had another cup of excellent coffee and then enjoyed some delicious Chinese food. It may have been extra good because I was so hungry. I was feeling so great, I didn’t even feel hunger until I started feeding my face!

With all that was going on, my mind was in a happy place and what resulted from that was a series of seemingly random and/or humorous thoughts, questions, tid bits on Facebook and Twitter. I had been doing this yesterday too. So I thank everyone that commented and “liked” my randomness. Truth be told, that was a peek inside my mind on a normal basis. Yes, I have deeper thoughts than what I shared, but these things make me smile, maybe I might brighten someone else’s day or enlighten them OR make them feel not so alone in thinking they are the only ones who wondered or thought the same way I think. It’s all good.

So that was my awesome day. It’s really not much to explain, but I felt the need to try to explain why I’m in such a good mood. And I don’t normally get too person on my blog, but it’s my blog, so I write whatever I’m feeling. And today I’m feeling blessed and grateful for awesome friends that love me as much as I love them. Thanks for calling, texting, emailing, commenting, liking and just being you. The little things you all do are cherished and appreciated.

Enough with the mushy stuff. Tomorrow will hopefully be VMA related stuff all day. So no official friPod post.

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Posted in Friends, life update

2010 mtv vma / indoob picks – best collaboration

This one is one of those tricky categories I have to remind myself if I’m picking who I think will win or who I want to win. And in this category, we have Beyonce and Lady Gaga having the best chance at winning BEST COLLABORATION because of a phone. And they aren’t bad videos, mind you. Odd, but not bad. Dealing with Lady Gaga, you are gonna delve into the strange and unusual all for the sake of good clean(?) artistic fun.

  • Speaking of clean, Ke$ha teams up with 3OH!3 for “My First Kiss” which is a fun song with a fun colorful video. I thought I had unhappy words about it, but it’s not so bad. Still not very fond of this Ke$ha character, and one of the singers of 3OH!3 reminds me of Ben Stiller. But that’s no fault on them.
  • B.o.B. seems to be having a good year, and I keep hearing about Hayley Williams with Paramore. I personally don’t think this “Airplanes” video is the best to ever hit the screen, but it keeps the eyes busy and entertained. If this song is as popular as the charts say it is, it could be a surprise upset.
  • I’m deciding now that “Vide Phone” will NOT be the winner. Of course, I could be wrong, but I’m going to say that Lady Gaga will probably be the winner with her Telephone.
  • I love Jay-Z and Alicia Keys and this video isn’t too bad. It’s quite good, and it’s a great anthem for NYC no doubt, but I doubt it’ll win this award. It would be a welcomed surprise though.
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Posted in awards, music video

2010 mtv vma / indoob picks – best new artist

I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to go forward with these posts and talk about each video, or if I’d even post each video. As a blogger, it would show how dedicated I am to the craft… but c’mon, you can all access YouTube and find these videos I’m speaking of. Most of them are on MTV’s website and I’ll post a link to the category. So will I predict the winner or who I want to win? Well, a little bit of both. Don’t make any bets on my call. Remember what Kanye said, it’s all a popularity contest anyway.

With that out of the way, we have our first category: BEST NEW ARTIST

  • The video I like the most out of the five happen to be Broken Bells “The Ghost Inside”. Why? It tells a good, yet sad, story. Now this is a new artist, I have no clue who this artist is, but that’s just fine with me. I hope they win because this song fits the mood of this video very well. To be honest, it reminds me a lot of Daft Punk’s Interstella movie.
  • Do I have anything against the other nods? Sorta, yes. I don’t care much for the Ke$ha persona. Some people love it, and I’ll admit it’s a catchy song. But I really don’t like feeling dirty after watching this video.
  • Jason Derulo I don’t have a serious quarrel with, other than he’s one of those artists I feel I’ve seen and/or heard before. He reminds me of a Chris Brown type of singer/dancer. Not bad, but not really new to me. And the video is nothing to be excited about, in my opinion.
  • I’ve not a Justin Bieber fan, so I’ll leave it at that. For all I know, he could be the winner of this award since he has such a huge, HUGE fan base. With that said, I’d bet on him to win, but I’d rather see the my pick. I was avoiding watching the video, but it isn’t that bad. Not a song for me, but I can see the appeal. Props to Ludacris.
  • Lastly is Nicki Minaj… I read that Kanye has said she will be the next big thing. I personally don’t see it, not from this song anyway. Or the video. It reminds me of Lil’ Kim… who hasn’t been around… so I guess it makes sense? I don’t know, I’m not really feeling her or the song. Maybe because she’s new and I haven’t heard anything else from her yet my feelings might change. But for now, I’ll pass.
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Posted in awards, music video

fripodding and burning: “the fire” the roots & john legend

Today’s friPod goes out to all the kiddies and college students… or anyone going back to any kind of school, or going out to do something that they believe in to either better themselves or others around them. Once again, this is coming from The Roots featuring John Legend bringing you “The Fire.”

This song, like much of the album, is about achieving and overcoming, if you couldn’t tell from the album’s title How I Got Over. The title track, by the way, is an equally awesome if not the best song on the album. Specifically, well to me, “The Fire” is about desire, passion and ambition for reaching and accomplishing that goal you set for yourself. I really resonate with this song personally because it’s speaking to that fire within me, to achieve something great. I admit I kinda lost my drive over the summer. But as I, and many others, remind me–life happens. So I lost some of the passion and focus that I need to keep going and doing what I need to do, but I’m gaining it back and do what needs to be done.

This is why I felt this song is perfect for this time of year and for all those that are going back to school, hoping that fire in them only grows brighter and stronger so they can become great as well. I was never a fan of saying “Good luck” to people, mostly due to my unbelief in luck… but it also felt like some throw away encouragement phrase that doesn’t hold a lot of weight when someone is about to tackle an obstacle. Well, this song’s chorus says what I will say from now on:

There’s something in your heart
And it’s in your eyes
It’s the fire, inside of you
Let it burn
You don’t say “good luck”
You say “don’t give up”
It’s the fire, inside of you
Let it burn

I love that. Honestly, that’s a much better thing to tell people, especially with a challenge like school and education. Speaking as a non-college graduate, giving up seems so much easier than going through. But, I’m not going to give up. I wish I hadn’t stopped. Part of that reason is due to the school loan repayments kicking in (and it’s ridiculous that higher education is so expensive), but being continuously fed knowledge is awesome. Knowledge really is power, that isn’t just something people say.

So with that, I will quote the end of Black Thought’s verse (I love quoting this guy and I love his raps… he’s a lyrical idol of mine). As I said, I loved the whole song and many other lines, but this is one that truly sums it all up.

Something in my eyes say I’m so close to having the prize / I realize I’m suppose to reach for the skies / Never let somebody try to tell you otherwise

My last note on this song is the instrumentals from the band itself. It gives me the feeling of triumph and determination. This is what I’d call “Champion music.” The driving drum line, no doubt one of the many products of ?uestlove. But just the way the song is structured, it sounds like an anthem, or maybe something you’d hear in a movie when the hero is about to embark or is engaging in battle, or a march, or possibly a theme played in the resulting victory. Needless to say, vocals and instruments compliment each other. There’s an invigorating and triumphant mood to it that makes me want to turn this up to 11 every time I hear it. There is a music video, to be honest I’m not a huge fan of it, but it’s something different. Feel free to discuss your thoughts with me afterwards.

So with that, Indoobians, I encourage you to not give up on whatever endeavor you are about to endure. Also, keep an open mind because you can never learn too much.

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Posted in friday, fripodding, music, wisdom

fripodding and waking up: “wake up everybody”

I instantly fell in love with this song before the chorus was sung. Little did I know that my mind would be blown away by the soul vocals and precise wise raps that makes up the song “Wake Up Everybody.”

What I didn’t know at first about this song, is that it is a cover of the Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes song. What I also didn’t know is that the entire album, Wake Up!, brought to you by John Legend and The Roots, is mostly a covers album of socially conscious songs of the 60’s and 70’s. Before that factoid, I was already signed on once I heard The Roots and John Legend. But back to the song…

Not only does it start with Black Thought and the Legendary Roots Crew with Mr. Legend taking on the brunt of the vocals, it also features the lovely Melanie Fiona complimenting ever so perfectly with a great voice. According to her The Bridge album, she seems a bit socially conscious herself, which is definitely a plus in my book. Before knowing this was a cover, I just associated this song to being about current times. Even though it was a song of the past, it’s still very much relevant to today’s time.

Another update to the song come from Common. Could this track get any better? Besides keeping it on repeat… I don’t know. But the video? Yes! Not only do we get the lovely eye candy of Fiona (or maybe that’s just me), but we get a vintage throwback to the era this song came from. If you didn’t know by now, I’m a fan of the vintage. And Common can rock a vest, can he not?

Awesome song, awesome video, awesome artists, awesome message. Let’s not forget what this song is trying to tell people. And it’s for all people. We need to wake up! Everyone should be aware of what’s going on in the world, in their society, in their community. Everyone can make a difference. I’m what I consider a pretty passive activist. I’ll help pass the word around, but at this time in my life, I may not be out in the streets with posters and signs. But I give much respect to the people that do that. I also don’t talk a lot about politics or world events, but that doesn’t mean I’m not aware. My quick thought on this whole “ground zero mosque” is this: if Muslims aren’t allowed a mosque, Christians/Catholics aren’t allowed a church, Jews aren’t allowed a temple, etc.

Anyway, back in the day, Civil Rights and racial equality were still issues, just like they are today. I would think they are a lot better than in those days, but sadly it isn’t gone. It’s sad that some people are still asleep to that. But I even thought, if I could go back to the Civil Rights days, I might join a sit-in. All of that is another story for another day.

Wake Up! is released September 21st.

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Posted in fripodding, john legend, music, music video, wisdom

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