Big Sean and Jhene Aiko are two of the hottest artists in the music game today. Sean specializes as a rap artist while Aiko is an emerging RnB singer. Both have experienced commercial success with solo projects but this is the first feature collaboration for each.
The music on the eight-track output is exactly what I expected from the two of them as a pair. I talked with Elite Basketball Academy alum Kai Lambert earlier. He was impressed with Sean’s lyrical breakdown coupled with Aiko’s smooth vocals provide a mellow yet in-depth result. I’ll take a look at four of my favorite songs with the dopest Sean lyrics from each:
1) “Deja Vu”
“It’s been three years, I can’t believe that there is crazy. Where does the time go? You just had a baby. You had a new man and you just separated.”
3) “On the Way”
“I just hit the up the freeway. Switching lane to lane, speed racin’ (swerve).”
5) “Memories Faded”
“You know Granny plus you knew the family. You covered all your bases like you knocked it out the park. Lately, it’s been heavy on my mind you know. I feel like we didn’t give each other time to grow.”
8) “London Bridge”
“Cause you make me feel like the chosen one. 8 billion people in the world and I still chose the one.”
“What happens if we got in an accident and died tragically? Next lifetime, you remembered and had to come after me. And convinced me that we weren’t meant to be but we have to be. And like defending champs you had to win it all back for me. Just gotta know how deep is our love actually.
Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90âs. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.
“Four To Know” is a glimpse inside what’s current in the iTunes Music Libraries of our team members. We’ll provide four songs to grab and a breakdown of what appeals to us in each track.
This is the second time that Graham has made my âFour To Knowâ list. Following the smash hit, âSeven Years,â the group returns with an upbeat single off of their self-titled debut album.
2) âPop Styleâ by Drake feat. The Throne
Drakeâs latest single features two artists in Jay-Z and Kanye West who have previously been linked to shots from Mr. Drizzy. Creatively referred to as The Throne (play on their Watch The Throne album), HOV and âYe help Drake deliver a track sure to get airplay worldwide as we wait on âViews From The 6.â
3) âGet My Ish Togetherâ by Big Sean
With a new album âTwenty88″ with Jhene Aiko out, Sean dropped a couple of songs that didnât make the collab. This is one as he spends four minutes serving his usual witty punchlines:
âThinking to myself what true success is. To some itâs get a job, retire and move to Texas.â
âIâll take you way back. Tommy Hilfiger, wave cap way back. Back when we needed the wrist rocky ASAP (shoutout to A$AP Rocky).â
âDonât make me snap back. Back to the teaser snap back. DJ Khaled with the flow, they donât want you to snap. Yep.â
4) âClass Actâ by Nick Grant
Class Act is the second single off of Grantâs â88â mixtape. With the help of Young Dro, Grant turns in a solid performance with a track that should help the momentum he created with the late-2015 release of Royalty. Grant is still in search of the smash hit that will introduce his flow to the masses but Class Act is another step in the right direction.
Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90âs. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.
Kanye West spent 2015 designing shoes, fashion and trying to rule the world with an iron (albeit at times all over the board) fist via social media. In the process, he set the stage for what is now known as âThe Life of Pablo.â Outside of Drakeâs âViews From the 6â project slated to drop later this spring, Westâs album is arguably the most anticipated of the entire year and it’s only March. Kayne even did Kanye like things throwing us a slight curveball by only releasing the music on Tidal as opposed to Apple Music.
My album will never never never be on Apple. And it will never be for sale… You can only get it on Tidal.
I have always loved Kanye, just not as much as Kanye loves Kanye. I have been a huge fan, with the exception of Yeezus, but did anyone really like that album? He made up for whatever Yeezus was with The Life of Pablo album for sure. One of my favorite things about him is how much he makes fun of himself and he doesnât hold back on himself in The Life of Pablo. Multiple references are made to how crazy he is off of his medication (which makes me wonder if he hasnât been taking it during his random Amanda Bynes style Twitter rants). Another reason I love Kanye, Kim Kardashian. Anytime Kanye raps about Kim I absolutely love it, therefore “FACTS” is one of my favorites because I contributed to Kimoji shutting down the app store with my Kimoji purchase. Also, Kim has been snapchatting Kanye driving around listening to The Life of Pablo and dancing to his own music in true Kanye fashion and it is HILARIOUS. If you havenât seen the videos I highly recommend looking them up. Lastly, coming from a person who doesnât listen to too much rap I loved Famous with Rihanna and FML with the Weeknd because they are definitely more my style of music and of course still Kanye making fun of himself.
Brandonâs Take:
This music – content and production – falls right in line with his classic works to date. More importantly, itâs back on track from where he left us with My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy back in 2010.
Ultralight Beam: I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Chance the Rapper killed it. âMy daughter look just Sia, you canât see her.â
Father Stretch My Hands, Part 1: Kanye starts this one the right way thanks in large part to Metro Boominâs âIf Young Metro Donât Trust YaâŠâ lineâŠ
WATCH THIS PLAY OVER AN EPISODE OF âTHE OFFICEâ
Part 2: Kanye introduces us to his newest GOOD Music artist, Desiigner, on this one. I mentioned in a this article (click to read) that he sounds like Future. Thatâs a whole different story. This one goes in. It might be favorite track solely due to my energy level going up two notches when it comes on.
Famous: Taylor Swift owes her fame to Kayneâs epic rant at the VMAâs in 2009. At least, thatâs what Mr. West says. Toss Swizz Beats and Rihanna assists for providing us with one of the albumâs most
WATCH KANYEâS INFAMOUS RANT:
Highlights:Blac China with Rob (Kardashian) helped him with the weight. I wish my trainer would tell me what I overate. Done.
I Love Kanye: Vintage âYe. I love the old Kanye, make the beats Kanye. Hilarious stuff.
Waves: West definitely came ready with the production on this one. He brought Chris Brown with him on the hook. The beat didnât need much from Kanye lyrically so Chris did the heavy lifting.
FML: Speaking of go-to industry singers, The Weeknd jumped on this with Kanye. West delivers a poignant lyric âI will die for those I love. God, Iâm willing to make this my mission: give up the woman, before I lose half of what I own.â
Real Friends: The stanza about the cousin stealing the laptop is pure gold. Well done âYe.
30 Hours: With Andre 3000 on the hook, a Nelly reference and talk of rapping for Jay-Z with Cam’Ron when Roc-A-Fella was the place to be, Kanye made it feel like 2002 again real quick. Toss in a MEAN Matt Barnes / Derek Fisher reference about Fisher reportedly driving 95 miles to beat Fisher up last fall and it all comes together nicely.
No More Parties in L.A.: This was another song that dropped before the album. Kendrick Lamar teamed up with Yeezy to deliver a clean cutâŠ
FACTS: Yeezy, Yeezy, Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman. This was a first of the year article (click to read) Thatâs the perfect way to end this album.
Taylor Johnson serves as Brandon Clay’s personal stylist and is one of the most fashionable people in Atlanta. She’s also the resident expert on Hulu and Netflix. While attending graduate school at Georgia State, she’ll contribute to various categories throughout the PSBPopCulture.com site. You can follow her on Twitter @KTaylorPSB.
Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90âs. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.
“Four To Know” is a glimpse inside what’s current in the iTunes Music Libraries of our team members. We’ll provide four songs to grab and a breakdown of what appeals to us in each track.
The song is currently sitting at No. 1 inside the iTunes Store top songs listing. The Danish pop rock-soul group is headlined by Lukas Graham Forchhammer and will launch their debut album on April 1st. The song â7 Yearsâ is an interesting take on life from a kid through adulthood into the later stages of life. Keep an eye on âMama Saidâ as a potential second single after the album drops.
2) âShe Donâtâ by Ella Mai feat. Ty Dolla $ign
Ella Mai just might have my favorite RnB track of the first quarter to date. She teamed up with emerging star Ty Dolla to deliver a smooth yet soulful output. Her profile and sound is still so new to the scene that she doesnât even have a Wikipedia page built yet. Given the buzz this song has created that shouldnât last much longer.
3) âMiley Cyrusâ – French Montana feat. Future
French Montana is back folks. This combination is mean with a banger for the spring coming as a result. In typical French fashion, he drops a basic though witty jewel with âI couldnât Michael Jordan so I J. Coleâd.â Montana has another track called âFigure It Outâ with Kanye West and Nas bubbling on the surface as well.
4) âMoolahâ by Young Greatness
Along with Desiignerâs âPanda,â Moolah could be the anthem of Spring Break 2016. The video already has over 2.5 million views on YouTube. Hailing from New Orleans, Young Greatness has a hit on his hands with this one. The legendary Jazze Pha produced this monster, and the sound has been in steady rotation on my personal playlist since the top of the calendar year.
Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90âs. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.
“Four To Know” is a glimpse inside what’s current in the iTunes Music Libraries of our team members. We’ll provide four songs to grab and a breakdown of what appeals to us in each track.
BREAKDOWN: Lanez brought the heat with the lead single off of his upcoming album scheduled to be titled âL.A. Confidential.â He performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel at the end of January, and it is already charting on The Heatâs Weekly Top 35 countdown on Sirius XM. I was in Los Angeles at the beginning of February and had a chance to really listen. This record has the potential to take off the way that âSay Itâ did during the back half of 2015. Despite Lanez âoff-fieldâ issues with fellow Canadian, Drake, the music Lanez is putting out has his name amongst the up-and-comers in the urban music game right now.
2) âPandaâ by Desiigner
BREAKDOWN: First of all, I thought this was Future when I heard the song. Second, Kanye West tossed the Brooklyn-based rapper a MEAN alley oop by putting a sample of this song on his âThe Life of Pabloâ album. Kanye also announced earlier in February that Desiigner is signed to G.O.O.D. Music so the placement is purely by design. With the catchy beat and hook, this just might be the Spring Break anthem before itâs all said and done.
SIDENOTE: I heard Uncle Murda’s remix of “Panda.” He too thought it was Future and stated so on the song. At least I wasn’t alone.
3) âJamâ by Kevin Gates
BREAKDOWN: Kevin Gates dropped the âIsiahâ album earlier in the year. 48 hours later, Gates proceeded to release this track with Trey Songz and Ty Dolla $ign. Itâs Gates at his essence: crisp hook, witty wordplay all based on his relationship with a female.
4) âPillowtalkâ by Zayn (Malik)
BREAKDOWN: From the opening beat drop, the former One Direction group member showed that he has a song built to top the charts sooner than later. His debut single is currently sitting at No. 10 on the iTunes charts and is getting major airplay on radio stations from coast-to-coast. Expect this one to stay in rotation for a while.
Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90âs. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.
Kirk Franklin is one of the most well-known gospel artists of all time. Since introducing us to âThe Familyâ back in the 90âs, Franklin has assisted in delivering jewels for the past three decades. His latest album, âLosing My Religionâ is a combination of the soulful music and vocals that weâre accustomed to hearing from Franklin. Hereâs a look at some of my favorite tracks:
1) Miracles
This is Franklin back in the âKirk and The Family” days to me with the choir singing both the chorus and the hook. Kirk does his normal 1-2 talking at various points during the song.
FAVORITE LINE: âMy Life is a miracle, canât deny it Iâm a miracle. For the price of my miracle, nailed in his hands and his feet for me.â
2) Itâs Time
Gospel artists Tasha Page-Lockhart and Zacardi Cortez join Franklin for this one. The choir wasted no time hitting this one punching the opening line. Itâs right behind âWhenâ as my favorite song on the album.
FAVORITE LINE: âGiving up feels wrong when youâve been waiting for so long, for destiny and victory to finally collide. There is no sound more sweeter than when God says itâs time.â
3) Wanna Be Happy?
The CDâs lead single delivers an upbeat vibe as the choir takes the listener from a place of struggle to a place of triumph. The key to it all, giving your lifeâs desires to Jesus.
FAVORITE LINE: âIf youâre tired of being the same, if youâre tired of things not changing, itâs time for you to get out the way. Donât get stuck in how you feel, say Jesus take the wheel. He knows the road that you need to take. Donât you wanna be happy?â
4) When
Two more high profile artists, Kim Burrell and Lalah Hathaway, join Franklin on this track. This is my favorite song on the entire album. They collaborate to deliver a silky smooth sound over the laid back instrumental.
FAVORITE LINE: âWhen will come for your daughters and sons? Weâre homesick. We try but we donât belong. Even if that day is a million light years away, each day weâll begin with the same question: when?â
5) Pray For Me
Franklin actually delivers the vocals on this one. For years, heâs been the MC of the show. Over this mellow instrumental, he gives us a look at where he is in his spiritual walk asking for prayer in the process.
FAVORITE LINE: âListen close, you can hear the world crying. Pray for me. Itâs saying donât talk about me, donât judge me just pray for me.â
Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90âs. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.
With every album, Panic! at the Disco keeps it fresh and changes things up a bit and band keeps that same philosophy with the latest release, âDeath of a Bachelorâ with lead singer and only remaining original band member, Brendon Urie, channeling his inner Frank Sinatra on numerous tracks.
I have been a Panic! at the Disco fan since their debut 2005 album, âA Fever You Canât Sweat Out.â My roommate at the time, Blake, left the CD in my car and I lied to him when he asked if I had it because I loved the cd and didnâtâ want to give it back. Not only did I love that album but the music video for the hit song âI Write Sins Not Tragediesâ is one of my favorites of all time.
Official Video: âI Write Sins Not Tragediesâ
Here are my favorite tracks from this latest album:
3) “Hallelujah”
Breakdown: I love a song that allows us to embrace our mistakes (sins) but still know that we can move forward once we own up to what has transgressed in the past. This song has a strong chorus that is catchy and has you singing out âHallelujahâ every time it gets to the hook.
Favorite Line: âNo one wants you when you have no heart and Iâm sitting pretty in my brand new scars and youâll never know if you donât ever try again.â
5) “Death of a Bachelor”
Breakdown: Urie kills it and really shows his range in this song hitting the high falsettos and deep baritones to go along with an instrumental arrangement that reminds you of modern day Sinatra song. Urie not only sings about the end of an era of bachelorhood, but more importantly the promise of a brighter era when you fall in love with a woman and commit your life to them.
Favorite Line: âOh Seems so fitting for happily ever after How could I ask for more? A lifetime of laughter At the expense of the death of a bachelor?â
6) “Crazy=Genius”
Breakdown: Upbeat with a swing music feel that makes you want to get up and dance and swing your lady around on the dancefloor.
Favorite Line: âOther boys you may have dated serrated your heart with a slice, but the cut off your love never hurts, Baby, itâs a sweet butter knifeâ
Kris Watkins is a contributor to PSBPopCulture.com. He’s well-versed in multiple walks of life from the latest Brooks sneakers to gluten free beverages. In his spare time, Watkins is considered a go-to in the world video editing and junior college basketball recruiting. Make sure to follow Watkins on Instagram and Twitter @KrisWatkinsPSB.
Drake is claiming 2016 as his year as his next album will be released in April. The Canadian artist, who is featured on Rihannaâs new single Work is getting into album mode, announcing his long-awaited fourth solo LP, “Views From the 6” is on the way.
Expected to arrive later this year, Drizzy gives fans a preview of what to expect on Views, premiering a new street single, “Summer Sixteen” on OVO Sound Radio on Beats 1.  Slide over to iTunes/Apple Music to purchase or stream âSummer Sixteenâ which is produced by OVO in house beat monsters Boi-1da, 40, and CuBeatz.
CLAYâS TAKE: I was sitting courtside watching Kansas State last Saturday night when our PSBPopCulture.com Team Member, Jordan Davis, messaged me about this track. Let me say, I played it 20 times on the way from Manhattan back to Kansas City that night. Drake spared NO ONE on this. He touched Barack Obama with a line, âmy verses are like the whips that you ride in, they’re bulletproof.â Drake then reengaged Meek Mill after winning this summerâs battle versus the Philly-based rapper. âI let the diss record drop, you were staying right below me (at the Four Seasons hotel). We must have played it 100 times, you were going to bed. Why would I wear a vest, youâre supposed to aim for the head?â
Next up, Mr. Graham took on Torontoâs own Tory Lanez. âAll you boys in the New Toronto (a shot at Lanezâs mixtape title) wanna be me a littleâŠyou was never gang gang gang gang, you was never one of us.â
He even got a quick jab at Kanye West. âMy pool is bigger than Kanyeâs. Kanyeâs pool is nice, mineâs just bigger is what Iâm sayin.â
With Views from the 6 on the horizon, it will be interesting to see if Drake continues his âShots Firedâ campaign.
Listen to Drizzy’s announcement on OVO Sound from Beats 1 Radio on Apple Music below.
Donteâ Grant is a contributor to PSBPopCulture.com. Grant, a 10-year music industry veteran, a former A&R at Atlantic Records, Jeezyâs CTE label, and founder of TheOrganizedGrind. Follow him on IG @MuchoDineros and Twitter @dinerojones.
Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90âs. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.
Kanye West aka The âLouis Vuitton Donâ is back in the news with less than two weeks to go until his highly anticipated new album drops. This time, the news isn’t a new song dropping. It’s actually him dropping his album title.
What initially was going to be title So Help Me God then changed to Swish (which I never liked as a title by the way) now is titled Waves. A day after unveiling the track list to the then 10-song LP, Yeezy announced the album will now be titled Waves. Oh, and apparently with the new title came the addition of a new song. Mr. West added âUltra Light Beamâ to make Waves an 11 track opus.
Waves will debut at New York Cityâs Madison Square Garden during the Yeezy Season 3 fashion show which will be broadcasted live to various theatres across the world.
Can February 11th get here already???
Donteâ Grant is a contributor to PSBPopCulture.com. Grant, a 10-year music industry veteran, a former A&R at Atlantic Records, Jeezyâs CTE label, and founder of TheOrganizedGrind. Follow him on IG @MuchoDineros and Twitter @dinerojones.
Wednesday morning was the start to a long and eventful day in music. From the Twitter beef with Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa, to 2 Chainz surprising the masses with a new mixtape. Not to be outdone on this busy day, Rihanna dropped her hot new track with Drake called âWork.â
DAVIS TAKE: I was excited to hear the two A-List artists team up again. I could easily see this song being a good feel for a lot of different settings from clubs, clothing stores, or even just car rides. Immediately following the release of Work, Rihannaâs album, âAntiâ was leaked through the app Tidal. However, she didnât seem too upset about the sudden exposure of her 8th studio album on Twitter, and was understanding of the situation.
The track has a smooth upbeat tempo with a bit of a âclub musicâ undertone. Rihanna gives the song a good dance vibe by the way she says, âWork, Work, Workâ throughout the chorus with her Barbadian accent.
In typical Drake fashion, he comes in after the second chorus to spit a smooth verse on an R&B singerâs track. Overall, both artist did a good job of sticking to the song’s theme and doing what they do best without âDTMâing.â
Publisherâs Note:DTM = Doing Too Much. It is almost always used to point out someone doing something excessive in life.
CLAYâS TAKE: Iâve been a fan of Drake and Rihanna teaming up since âWhatâs My Name?â back in 2010. Arguably the gameâs premier hip-hop artist, Drake also delivered a track with Rihanna on âTake Careâ back in 2011. Despite rumors of a relationship swirling heavy in 2013, the two have maintained a working connection dropping another jewel in Work. The song is right down the plate to be a hit on airwaves and streaming services worldwide. Itâs currently the No. 2 most purchased song on iTunes and should remain in the Top 10 for weeks to come.
Jordan Davis is a contributor to PSBPopCulture.com with a unique blend of #PSBPopCulture reviews. Davis has been rocking the latest trends since arriving here in 1995. He is currently a student at Kennesaw State, a Social Media Intern with PeachStateBasketball.com and is well on his way to being the youngest in charge sooner than later.
Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90âs. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.
Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90âs. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.
