ONE OF ROLLING STONE'S
ARTISTS OF THE DECADE

what does all this mean?
what's he trying to tell us?
I have my own thoughts...
What are yours?

BUY it.

So I'll start this entry off by saying; I'm not a huge huge huge Jay Z fan. Don't get me wrong I definitely grew up listening to Jay Z, I enjoy a lot of his songs, but not enough to ever want to see him live or anything like that. I think he's a great rapper but a lot of his stuff is either hit or miss with me. A lot of this stems from me not being a HUGE fan of Rap music in general. I listened to "Run This Town" a few times since it leaked online. I will say I like NO I.D. as a producer, he's definitely making his mark. The song itself is sort reminiscent of T.I.'s "Live Your Life"---maybe it's just me. Similar tempo & feel + plus Rihanna is featured on both tracks. It underwhelms me. The video I really like. Anthony Mandler directed it. This year he directed Robin Thicke's "Dreamworld" video, The Killers' "A Dustland Fairytale", and recently Maxwell - "Bad Habits". Let's not forget the visually stunning video he directed for Rihanna's "Rehab".

Personally, I'm a huge proponent for the post-apocalyptic aesthetic. I have an obsession of sorts with media related to the subject. This video is sort of a modern take on Tupac's "California Love which was a modern take on the eighties movie "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" which was probably a modern take on something else. I like Mandler's use of fire and light. The colors are crisp and dark. The looks/wardrobe are befitting; stylish and contempo but still true to the theme. Overall I like the video way more than I like the song.

Back in April I heard Spike Jonze and Kanye we're collaborating on a short film. The film entitled "We Were Once a Fairy Tale" will be released on iTunes September 8th. I'm assuming it's the video for the "See U In My Nightmares" single (if it's a single) because the title is one of the lyrics. I'm interested to see how this looks visually and how Kanye performs as an actor. You know I have a thing for dynamic duos, I'm sure this is going to be pretty amazing, it's fucking Spike Jonze.

Here's a spoiler (aka synopsis):

In the film, Kanye plays himself drunk at a club acting belligerent and boastful, telling starstruck club-goers that the song playing in the club is his. He wanders into a side room where he encounters a beautiful woman. They start having sex and then he passes out on her leopard print dress. When he comes to, he finds himself in the VIP room with his pants down – he was hallucinating and fucking the pillow. The realization startles him and he rushes to the bathroom where he vomits what look like rose petals.

Then it gets weird.

Kanye finds a bowie knife in the bathroom and cuts into his stomach, spilling a torrent of more petals. He digs in the knife deeper and then with his hand rips out a small furry rodent, like a demon, only its quite cute. When Kanye realizes it’s connected to him with an umbilical cord, he pulls it hard, ripping it out of him for good. He then puts the demon on the sink and hands him a tiny bowie knife to fit the critter’s scale who then uses it to commit hari kari.

The short, written and directed by Spike Jonze, walks the fine line between self aggrandizement and self mockery that runs through all of Kanye’s endeavors. But the filmmaking is on point, with cinematography and sound design that authentically renders that feeling of being really disoriented in a nightclub. One doesn’t need to love Kanye to love the film, but the Jonze short takes what people love and hate about Kanye’s persona and then pushes it into a new, trippy realm. And in case you’re wondering, the answer is no, Kanye still can’t act. The film features the song “See you in my Nightmares” from 808s and Heartbreaks, remixed and pretty severely tweaked by Spike Jonze’s brother and N.A.S.A.‘s Squeak E. Clean (Sam Spiegel).

SOURCE.

I expect style, spectacle, and a supernova.
Oct 04, 2009 HSBC Arena Buffalo, New York
Oct 07, 2009 TD Banknorth Garden Boston, Massachusetts
Oct 10, 2009 1st Mariner Arena Baltimore, Maryland
Oct 11, 2009 Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 13, 2009 Xcel Energy Center Saint Paul, Minnesota
Oct 15, 2009 Madison Square Garden Arena New York, New York
Oct 16, 2009 Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, New York
Oct 17, 2009 IZOD Center East Rutherford, New Jersey
Oct 28, 2009 Quicken Loans Arena Cleveland, Ohio
Oct 29, 2009 Verizon Center Washington, District of Columbia
Oct 31, 2009 Palace Of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, Michigan
Oct 31, 2009 Palace Of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, Michigan
Nov 02, 2009 United Center Chicago, Illinois
Nov 05, 2009 Toyota Center Houston, Texas
Nov 07, 2009 New Orleans Arena New Orleans, Louisiana
Nov 08, 2009 American Airlines Center Dallas, Texas
Nov 10, 2009 US Airways Center Phoenix, Arizona
Nov 11, 2009 Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl San Diego, California
Nov 13, 2009 Mandalay Bay Events Center Las Vegas, Nevada
Nov 14, 2009 Honda Center Anaheim, California
Nov 16, 2009 Staples Center Los Angeles, California
Nov 18, 2009 Save Mart Center Fresno, California
Nov 20, 2009 ARCO Arena Sacremento, California
Nov 21, 2009 HP Pavilion At San Jose San Jose, California
Nov 22, 2009 HP Pavilion At San Jose San Jose, California
Dec 02, 2009 Pepsi Center Denver, Colorado
Dec 03, 2009 Tingley Coliseum Albuquerque, New Mexico
Dec 03, 2009 Tingley Coliseum Albuquerque, New Mexico
Dec 05, 2009 Sprint Center Kansas City, Missouri
Dec 06, 2009 Scottrade Center Saint Louis, Missouri
Dec 09, 2009 Bank Atlantic Ampitheater FT Lauderdale, Florida
Dec 11, 2009 Philips Arena Atlanta, Georgia
Dec 12, 2009 Greensboro Coliseum Complex Greensburo, North Carolina
Dec 13, 2009 Norfolk Scope Arena Norfolk, Virginia
Dec 15, 2009 Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, Connecticut

There's a lot of negative twitter buzz around this video. I think it works, it's funny. Not to mention riddled with humongous breast and ample asses. I like how he only taught them how to stretch and how in the end they weren't the best but the worst. It felt like a blend between "Wouldn't Get Far"(The Game) and "Play" (David Banner) with a better aesthetic (a nice grimmy high school gloss). I wouldn't say it's a great video, but it isn't bad. I hope and pray for a "Little Bit" video that features Drizzy and Lykke Li. I think a nice mellow artsy video with bleak lighting and vivid colors would suite it.

Kanye West - Street Lights [OFFICIAL VIDEO] from Burnocchio Story. on Vimeo.

Kanye released this a few days ago. I'm posting it now because I didn't know if it was the real deal. "Streetlights" is not a single but he (a man who is all about artistry) still made a video for it. "Streetlights" is my favorite song from 808's because it's so dour and sincere--much like the rest of the album, LOL but even still I like MOST. This video reminds me of those video games outside of walmart, where you get in to a sliced car replica and frantically turn the wheel and pump the gas throttling toward some obscure digital destination...I didn't like the "Heartless" video so much but oddly, this one I enjoy---there's something about it.

Kanye West - Paranoid LMFAO REmix.

I thought nothing could top 2008's Glow In The Dark Tour.
Kanye West and Lady Gaga are going on tour.
This will be epic. So far the details don't exist but word is they will
perform together, no opening act, it will basically be one long set.
These two? This is gonna be CRAZY! Watch Ye' on The View:

'Spaceship' was definitely one of my favorite Kanye cuts from "College Dropout".
I don't know too many people who can't relate to this song--especially now.
"I directed this video four years ago but I wasn't satisfied
with it so I never released it. But now looking back at it I like it."
----Kanye
Here's the video:

p.s.
If you're interested here is the actual finished version of the PARANOID video.

DOWNLOAD:Supernova [Mr. Hudson & Kanye West]
[Pic Source: Mr. Hudson's Blog]

DOWNLOAD.