Writer’s Block Media » Reviews
I went to see The Dark Knight yesterday and that movie was great. It feels kinda good to get my movie game back up. I used to be the guy that went to see a movie the day it came out, but then I move to ATL and I saw maybe two movies in the theaters last year. But this year I’ve been getting back on it. Shit, I’ll probably go see The Dark Knight again. I kept drifting off to sleep while I was watching it. I know you’re probably thinking that the movie couldn’t have been that good if I kept falling asleep, but the movie was intense. It’s just that I went hard Friday night, I had a pool party and was going all day Saturday with little rest, so trying to keep my eyes open in a dark theater for three hours on Sunday just wasn’t working (hell, I think I was sleeping before the movie even started).
But I did see the majority of the movie and even though I spent most of the time playing catch up and trying to figure out what was going on, the movie was incredible. Bruce Wayne…he was cool. But the Joker!!! Man, the Joker made that movie what it was. Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker might be best villain in a movie of all-times (there could be others, but none come to mind right now). Dude was straight ruthless, psychotic yet still genius, plus he had jokes.
I don’t wanna spoil the movie, so I can’t really tell ya’ll anything else about it. But the movie did a record $155.34 million at the box office over the weekend, that should say something. Everyone I know, that saw it, loved it (except for my homegirl Jen, but she’s the one that dragged me to see that stupid azz Strangers movie, so her opinion doesn’t really count). Go see it. It’s definitely 5 stars chicken sandwiches.
Update: Waffle fries added upon request to emphasize the movies’ greatness.
Yesterday, I got my copy of “And I Love Her”, the fourth independent and conceptual album from South Carolina rapper/producer Danny! and I started to write a review for it. Then I thought about it and since the album flows like a movie, instead of giving my thoughts on it, I decided to hit D. Swain and let him give a track-by-track account of his own album (brilliant!).
That worked out perfectly because Danny! was in Atlanta today, so I basically kidnapped him and forced him to sit at a computer and write out what each song on his new album/movie is about.
That’s right people, not only do I have the album, I got the critical breakdown straight from the man himself. Check D. Swain’s overview, my 2 Cents and rating after the jump.
It is very rare that I do album reviews on Tha Block since I write reviews at Ozone for a living. But since Tha Carter III is probably the most anticipated album of 2008, I thought it’d be as good a time as any to breakout the chicken sandwiches. Check the review after the jump.
I caught MTV’s 2008 Hottest MCs in the game special last night and surprisingly I don’t disagree very much. The list is based on lyrics, flow, impact on the game, success and swagger over the last year and I can’t think of 10 rappers that are more deserving than the 10 that are on this list. Between the Glow In The Dark tour, putting out the best album of last year in Graduation and killing every remix he’s been on this year, I’d have to give Kanye the top spot too. The Top 10 are listed below and you can click the links to find out MTV’s reasoning for picking each artist.
1. Kanye West
2. Jay-Z
3. Lil Wayne
4. Rick Ross
5. Snoop Dogg
6. 50 Cent
7. Lupe Fiasco
8. Young Jeezy
9. Andre 3000
10. T.I.
Personally, I would have put 50 Cent over Ross and Snoop to #4. And then brought Lupe over Snoop. But I would have kept everything else the same, so I really don’t have any major complaints. I think MTV did a really good job this time and if you missed it, you can catch the show Sunday at 11 pm.
I’m back from the Glow In The Dark tour, and I must admit, Kanye’s show is the most amazing performance I’ve seen in my entire life. Words cannot explain his show. I’ve never seen anything like it. The theatrics, the concept, the creativity, the precision, the lighting, the special effects, the emotions, everything Kanye West put into his performance was flawless. No hypeman…hell, no one else even touched the stage (except for Lupe Fiasco, who kicked his verse for “Touch The Sky” and got the hell on), just Kanye and one mic.
Watching the show was like watching a movie. Kanye never broke out of character. I don’t think he even acknowledged the fact he was in Atlanta until the end of the show. For an hour and a half, he ripped through hit record after record, all while telling the story of the greatest star in the universe, on the way to Earth, conflicted by a broken spaceship.
If I could compare Kanye’s performance to any other great showing of our generation, I’d say it was like the night Kobe Bryant dropped 81 points in one game. Or when Michael Jordan hit the game winning shot to win his sixth NBA championship. Or when Barry Bonds hit 73 homeruns in a single season, or when he broke Hank Aaron’s homerun record. Or when Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle. Or when Denzel Washingston won an Oscar for Training Day. Or when Halle Berry won an Oscar for Monster’s Ball. Kanye’s Glow In The Dark performance is better than all of those moments.
Yes, better than that time you saw Beyonce. Better than Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z’s Heart of the City tour. Better the show Rick Ross put on in that hot azz club in your hood. Better than a Frankie Beverly and Maze concert. Whatever show you’ve ever seen, Kanye’s show is that much better.
There’s something mind-blowing about witnessing thousands of people reciting “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and “Stronger”. To see the excitement in the arena, as the crowd sang along, word for word…just to see the way that one artist had touched so many people was incredible. At one part, during Kanye’s tribute to his mother, I looked over and saw a girl sitting a few rows over and she was crying. I thought to myself “I know this bitch ain’t over there crying music is a powerful force.” For Kanye’s emotions to transfer to this girl’s heart was one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen.
I really don’t know what else to say. If you have the chance to see the Glow In The Dark tour, I say do whatever it takes to be in attendance when the tour touches down in your city. It’s worth every penny. Well, to be honest, Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D. and Rihanna’s shows fail in comparison to the show the Louis Vuitton Don put on and I can see why Entertainment Weekly gave the show a B+. Lupe’s set could use more stage presence. Pharrell and company…shit, I wasn’t familiar with enough of their songs to really give a damn about their set. And Rihanna, she looks sexy in her dominatrix outfit, but her set lacked energy and emotion. Not to harp on the negatives, all of their shows were still good, but tonight belonged to Mr. West. He killed it.
The bottomline, Kanye West’s show tonight was an A+ performance (with all the energy, emotion and passion he exuded on the stage tonight, I don’t know how he does it night in and night out). Tonight was the best show I’ve ever seen, and one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen, period.
American Gangster, the Jay-Z album not the movie, leaked over the weekend. I know cats wanna know what it sounds like, but I actually haven’t listened to the leaked version that much yet, so I can’t speak on it. But I think these reviews from around the net should be helpful. I just got back from South Kack and I’m still tired from this hood azz party I went to on Saturday. So check these reviews and I’ll be back after I recover from the Happy Juice.
Billy Sunday: Totally Unofficial XXL Mag Dot Com Review of American Gangster
I know today is Wednesday, I meant to remind you all to download pick up that new UGK album yesterday but I got caught up playing basketball wit’ some crackheads (don’t ask) and I didn’t get around to it. By now you’re prolly blasting this UGK double disc thru your speakers but if you haven’t checked it out yet, I’d advise you to do so. In what is prolly the worst year in hip-hop album releases ever, this UGK album is one of the best LP’s to drop this year. (If you need someone else to varify that, Noz has a good drop here).
The only other album that I was looking forward to coppin’ yesterday was the debut album from Plies:
Plies - The Real Testament
I can’t lie, I was really anticipating Plies’ debut album but after listening to this joint, I didn’t hear any songs that I want to hear again. Plies had the potential to be the best non-rapping rapper since Jeezy but he fumbled the ball on this one. And I’m still trying to figure out where are songs like “Bid Long,” “Got Em Hatin’” and “Duck Down.” Oh well, I did need a new table coaster.
Well folks, I’m about to be off to Miami (either today or tomorrow…I’m still not sure) and I’ll be pumping that UGK album the whole there. Pick up that UGK album and in the words of Pimp C…the truth will set you b!tch ass nuccas free.
I usually don’t do album reviews on WritersBlockMedia Dot Net because Julia cuts the check for me to write reviews for Ozone. But I will make exceptions for certain people and the homie D. Swain is one of those people.
Danny!, South Carolina’s best kept secret, will release his latest independent project on July 17th but R.E. has the album in his possession right now because I’m important like that. So I’ve decided to do a Bol style album review since it’s only an 8-track EP and it won’t take me all day.
