Donte Grant

#EntertainmentPSB: Beyonce´- Lemonade Film – April 30, 2016

By: Donte’ Grant @DineroJones

The album’s film, more explicitly than the album itself, digs deeper to the roots this idea of emotional inheritance in black identity, especially for black women. The songs themselves for the most part foreshadow a narrative about a personal struggle mastered through forgiveness, willpower, and relationship peaks and valleys that a wife and husband go through. The piece references Malcolm X quotes, detailing the disrespect paid to black women, mothers show photos of sons killed by police, and Beyoncé vows that “the curse can and will be broken.”

The imagery and message on display is profound. Beyonce’ is saying progress will come from black women drawing strength from one another and more black men being made to feel themselves capable of living the kinds of lives that society has told them they can’t live. Factual to Beyonce’s own life or not, throughout Lemonade the art is relatable, raw and epic. The message is loud and clear that Beyonce’, just like every other woman, has gone through an emotional roller coaster in her relationship. She too deals with hurt/brokenness at times, she too focuses on self improvement & empowerment through spiritually to get to a place of restoration, healing and happiness. She too has made lemonade from lemons. Bravo Mrs. Knowles Carter. Bravo indeed.

Donte’ Grant is a contributor to PSBPopCulture.com and and editor of chief of TheOrganizedGrind.com. Grant, a 10-year music industry veteran, is a former A&R at Atlantic Records and Jeezy’s CTE label. Follow him on IG @MuchoDineros and Twitter @dinerojones.

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#PSBPopCulture: Kendrick Lamar’s Effect on the Rap Industry – February 17, 2016

By: Donte’ Grant @DineroJones and Brandon Clay @psbpopculture

Donte’s Take on Kendrick at the Grammy’s:

Kendrick Lamar walked away last night with five Grammy Awards, one being obvious, best rap album. “To Pimp A Butterfly” is easily one the best albums of the last decade, of any genre. The Grammy’s one slip up last night was not recognizing its greatness and honoring it with Album of the year.

Brandon’s Take on Kendrick’s impact on the industry:

Lamar’s ability to win album of the year on a major stage this week without a “radio-friendly” single is validation that music content is still the most important part of the game. His style of dress, word content is very non-traditional in comparison to the status quo of the industry in 2016. Now Lamar has been on features ranging in genre as far over as Taylor Swift‘s “Bad Blood,” so it’s not as if he hasn’t built a name brand that allowed him to take a chance with his latest album. That said, Lamar represents a noticeable variation musically from some of the other mainstream A-List rap artists in Drake, Future. With samples including Lalah Hathaway on “Momma,” the album was so appealing to me that I completely skipped over “These Walls.” I just got to dive into that track during the Christmas Holidays.

Donte’s Take on To Pimp A Butterfly:

Kendrick Lamar’s critically acclaimed, instant classic plays out like a Spike Lee film in sound. Though it doesn’t explicitly bill itself as a movie like good kid, m.A.A.d city did, but the seamless interlocking dramas contained here feels filmic nonetheless, and a variety of characters appear across the album’s soundscape.

The opener, “Wesley’s Theory”, turns the public downfall of Wesley Snipes into a kind of parable. Snoop Dogg drops by on “Institutionalized”; Dr. Dre himself phones in on “Wesley”. The mood is wry, theatrical, chaotic, ironic, and mournful, often all at once; yet it all blends together effortlessly: On “For Free? (Interlude)” an impatient woman ticks off a laundry list of demands before Kendrick snaps back that “This …. ain’t free!” and roars through a history of black oppression, spoken-word style, definitely a highlight of the album.

The album is dotted with religious moments and analogies, like modern bible passages written by an urban man. God even appears in the guise of a homeless man in “How Much a Dollar Cost”, and closer “Mortal Man” ends on a lengthy, surreal dream interview with the ghost of 2Pac and Kendrick himself.

Donte’ Grant is a contributor to PSBPopCulture.com. He’s been a part of the team since playing pickup basketball with Clay at the Georgia Southern recreation center. Grant, a 10-year music industry veteran, a former A&R at Atlantic Records, Jeezy’s 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 90’s. 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.

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#iTunesSounds: Drake – “Summer Sixteen” – February 6, 2016

By: Donte’ Grant @DineroJones and Brandon Clay @psbpopculture

Drake is claiming 2016 as his year as his next album will be released in April. The Canadian artist, who is featured on Rihanna’s 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 “Summer Sixteen” which is produced by OVO in house beat monsters Boi-1da, 40, and CuBeatz.

CLAY’S 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, “my verses are like the whips that you ride in, they’re bulletproof.” Drake then reengaged Meek Mill after winning this summer’s battle versus the Philly-based rapper. “I 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, you’re supposed to aim for the head?”

Next up, Mr. Graham took on Toronto’s own Tory Lanez. “All you boys in the New Toronto (a shot at Lanez’s mixtape title) wanna be me a little…you was never gang gang gang gang, you was never one of us.”

He even got a quick jab at Kanye West. “My pool is bigger than Kanye’s. Kanye’s pool is nice, mine’s just bigger is what I’m sayin.”

With Views from the 6 on the horizon, it will be interesting to see if Drake continues his “Shots Fired” campaign.

Listen to Drizzy’s announcement on OVO Sound from Beats 1 Radio on Apple Music below.

Donte’ Grant is a contributor to PSBPopCulture.com. Grant, a 10-year music industry veteran, a former A&R at Atlantic Records, Jeezy’s CTE label, and founder of TheOrganizedGrind. Follow him on IG @MuchoDineros and Twitter @dinerojones.

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#EntertainmentPSB: 2 Chainz – “Watch Out” Video – January 27, 2016

By: Donte’ Grant @DineroJones

2 Chainz is back with easily the best Rap video of 2016 in “Watch Out.” Just watch for yourself. My words can’t do this any justice. Seriously. The new clip is directed Motion Family, the uber talented video crew based in Atlanta. A moon man from the VMA’s is in their near future.

If you recognize the beat it’s probably because the track was licensed by Beats by Dre in Cam Newton‘s new Powerbeats 2 commercial, which features 2 Chainz as the voice over. Chainz is definitely giving the rap game a lesson on how to make revenue off a mixtape record that was initially released for free. “Watch Out” was a stand out cut from his latest mixtape “Trapavelli Tre” in mid 2015. After “Watch Out” picked up steam at radio and streaming outlets the song was quickly added to iTunes. We see why.

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#iTunesSounds: Four To Know – December 6, 2015

“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.

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

1) “Credit” by Ty Dolla $ign feat. Seyvn Streeter

BREAKDOWN: First of all, I owe an assist to our TheOrganizedGrind affiliate owner Donte Grant for his assist on this one. He told me that the new Dolla $ign album was a must listen. As usual, Grant was dead on. Placed in the middle of his “Free TC” CD, Ty delivered a crisp track as he teamed up with emering R&B artist Sevyn Streeter. It remains to be seen if this will make it to the airwaves as a single at some point during the life span of the release but it’s worth a listen ASAP.

2A/B) “Black Friday” by J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar

BREAKDOWN: As if the rumblings of these two teaming up for a collaboration album weren’t loud enough already, they each dropped separate tracks on the other’s beat. Lamar chose Cole’s “A Tale of 2 Citiez” while Cole jumped on Kendrick’s hit “Alright.” Neither spared the beat going all in with A Game verses to hold us over as we wait. Cole even alluded to a possible release date during the month of February. Stay Tuned. For now, enjoy both of these songs.

3) “For The Summer” by Fabolous

BREAKDOWN: Fab’s latest mixtape “Summertime Shootout” ironically dropped on Thanksgiving Day. This track was the opening track off of another quality output from the New York based rapper. In talking with PSBPopCulture.com Team Member, Keil Moore, the progression for Fab as a 38-year-old artist is impressive. Keep an eye out for the “Young OG Project II” album scheduled for a digital release on Christmas Day. If Fabolous keeps up his current pace of releases during the Fourth Quarter, his new nickname will be Mr. Winter Holiday.

FAVORITE LINE: “Girlfriend like really 2 Chainz for the summer? I’ve copped a few things that were dumber…With that said, I might cop two things for the summer. They both gonna be blacker than Lou’s thing for the summer.”

^^^ Fab with the witty reference to Los Angeles Laker Louis Williams (insert Drake – 6th Man reference) and his two girlfriends.

4) “Under the Stars” by John Legend

BREAKDOWN: This song takes me back to his “Once Again” album. “Under The Stars” is exactly the kind of ballad that Legend has perfected since my introduction to his music in 2003 on Slum Village’s “Selfish.” It was released in conjunction with Stella Artois’ “Give Beautifully” holiday campaign. Though Legend dropped the song for the holiday season, it has a year round feel to it.

Brandon Clay is a contributor to PSBPopCulture.com through his various genre reviews. A self-professed entertainment & music junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. You can follow him on Twitter @PSBPopCulture.

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