2009.01.01 - New Sounds for a New Year

In this new year, I'm so pleased to have this official re-launch of DJINVERSE.COM.  I'm looking forward to keeping an active role. My goal is to keep all the music lovers who visit this site, laced with links to the best albums and trends I follow. So let's get to it...

As we flip the calender, we have to be hopeful that we'll have some fresh sounds in 2009. So many folks complain about the stale state of commercial music, in which artists sound alike, copy each other's styles, and use all the same songwriters and producers. It's areasonable complaint, no doubt. But I think there are a number of artists in the pop music world who deserve their noteriety.

These last couple of weeks I've been most impressed by a vocal chameleon, who has proved he could hang in any decade. Yes Jamie Foxx. The new album 'Intuition' is madness.  The album is split into two parts, musically speaking.  The first half is strictly bangers.  'Just Like Me' has been on the charts for weeks.  It's a solid RnB joint, but nothing compared to the gold found on the album.  The collaborations on 'Blame It (On The Drink' with The Dream and T-Pain is an obvious choice.  Definitely the most catchy on the album.  But the but teamwork of ever evolving producer Foxx, Just Blaze, and Lil Wayne on 'Number One' is genious.  It featured a classic Beastie Boys vocal sample ... '4 and 3 and 2 and 1... Number 1,1,1,1'.... It is absolutely sick.  The track 'I Don't Need It' has made it's way into my crates already. While this track may not get radio play, it's obviously an instant mover, sounding like the best of Lou Rawls as remixes by Timabaland.  It will get a thorough rinsing in my rotation.  

The second half of the album is mostly ballads, well wrtitten, but nothing that stands stand out.  I could take it or leave it. But I am serious about this - THE FIRST HALF IS SO BANGING that it doesn't matter what the rest sounds like.  You simply must cop this album.