00:10- Love ballad featuring Young Jeezy?? Hmmmm, I don’t know about this one, guys!

00:24- Polow Da Don sounds like he just stepped off a treadmill DIRECTLY into the recording booth..

00:58- Not a fan of the chorus, it sounds like the Auto-Tune is trying to break through, but she won’t let it. Simply Red sample (”If You Don’t Know Me By Now”)??? Nice touch, CiCi.

01: 23- Ahhhh, I like the flow. She always sounds adorable when she’s confessing her love for someone.

02:00- It’s starting to drag, but I can still tolerate it. This actually might do REALLY good on radio, but damn sure not in the club.

02:50- Just heard Jeezy’s signature, “Yeah”…..

03:12- Reminds me of “Love In This Club”, but I’m diggin it….

03:40- “State Troppers and Interstates”…Ahahahahha, if Jeezy turned that into a mixtape…..CLASSIC!

03:55- Now THIS should’ve been the original beat for the song…..THIS breakdown goes hard….

04:39- I must admit, this beat is extremely soooothing. Good job, Ciara!

Alright…….YOUR TURN!

Ciara ft. Young Jeezy- Never Ever |Produced By Polow Da Don|

Like it, Love it, or Leave It????????

Sincerely

Low “Alright Alright Alright OK, this here BANGS, Ciara…I must admit” Key

So, today, the next offering from Ciara’s, Fantasy Ride mixtape hit the masses and I must say, I’m pretty surprised she tackled this track. Though she did follow the same flow as Beyonce, she sounds a bit more free on her verses; sort of like she didn’t give a flying fudge what people thought about her effort.

I’m going to cease on anymore commentary because I’m DYING to see who you guys think did better over the Bangladesh soundscape. So, “Who does “Diva” its TRUE justice; Ciara or Beyonce????

Beyonce- Diva

Ciara- Diva

Sincerely

Low “Stop side eyeing me, I didn’t make Ciara cover Beyonce’s track….she did it on her own” Key

I can’t front, I’m a fan of this little ditty. Ciara’s intro flow is sexy and aggressive while 50’s banter is relaxed but to the point, which he does perfectly on his R&B/Hip hop collaborations. I think CiCi caught the memo of not being relevant at the current moment, because this sure as hell came outta nowhere. Hmmmm, a street side order before the mainstream course meal…..good job CiCi, now you’re thinking.

Ciara ft. 50 Cent- Slow Down

Like It, Love It or Leave It?

Sincerely

Low “I wonder what a Sasha Fierce mixtape would sound like? Hahhahahhaha, you know I had to do it” Key

So it looks like the ball is finally rolling over in the wonderful world of Ciara because her label released a preview of the albums art work. I guess since Beyonce has “Sasha Fierce”, Ciara went and created “Super C”. Now I’m not saying she did it BECAUSE of Beyonce, but I get it…I guess, lol. CiCi says the album’s artwork has been in the works for about 9 months which was created by an artist named Bernard Chang. She also revealed the the character derived from her comic book, Fantasy Ride *Clueless look on face*.

Anyway, what do you guys think of Super C and her “new look”. Personally, I think she needs to quit playing with the cartoon characters and put some music out; WE’RE READY FOR IT, CICI! Another question I pose to you CiCi lovers; Has her time come and gone due to her many push backs???? Don’t get me wrong, Ciara gets it popping when she drops, but the delay is really effin up her look (musically). Hopefully when the “first” single drops, again, it’ll top the success of Beyonce’s, “Single Ladies”…if not….sighs.

Are you guys feeling the new artwork????? SOUNNNNNNNNNNND OFFFFFF!!

Sincerely

Low “No matter what you do, Ciara, I still love ya…TO DEATH!” Key

In the case of me having to actually pick between the two; I probably would pick Neyo…only because his first album was during my last relationship and it basically told the entire story of how it played out. Just had to let you guys know lol…

The only difference, statistically, between the two is Neyo’s album count is already at three, so experience already ways heavy on the side of the Arkansas native (yes, Neyo is originally from Arkansas). In the past 2 years, both Neyo and The Dream have massacred writing pads with their unique penmanship showing no mercy for each other or the competition.

Neyo’s infectious material has channeled more so the opposite sex’s perspective more than the male’s, at times. Beyonce’s, “Irreplaceable” became a massive female anthem signaling every dishonest man to the left. And let’s not forget his breakout hit, “Let Me Love You” crooned by Mario back in 2004.

But on the other side of town The Dream, who began his writing tenure in 2003 after penning “Everything” for B2K, has also kept dance floors packed and radio airwaves filled via Rihanna (“Umbrella”), J. Holiday (“Bed”), Mariah Carey (“Touch My Body”), Mary J. Blige (“Just Fine”) and more recently, Beyonce (“Single Ladies”).

 Both are capable of writing hits for themselves and others, but it’s something distinctively unique about the both of them. Neyo’s material is more relationship driven; the heartaches and pains deriving from that particular situation. While The Dream, who can also channel the relationship commentary, has a bit more fun laminating the raunchy side of things (See Usher’s, “Trading Places”, lol). But hey, those are just my observations.

Time for the debate: Who Is A Better Songwriter; Neyo or The Dream?????? Having a hard time deciding? No worries, I’ve listed a throng of joints both artists have written in the last 3 years. ENJOY!

Songs written by Neyo

Mario- Let Me Love You (Turning Point, 2004)

Rihanna- Unfaithful (A Girl Like Me, 2005)

Neyo- So Sick, Stay, When You’re Mad (In My Own Words, 2006)

Beyonce- Irreplaceable (B’Day, 2006)

Rihanna- Hate That I Love You (Good Girl Gone Bad, 2007)

Neyo- Because of You, Can We Chill, Addicting, Go On Girl (Because of You, 2007)

Mary J. Blige- Work In Progress (Growing Pains, 2007)

Leona Lewis- I’m You (Spirit, 2007)

Usher- His Mistakes  (Here I Stand, 2008)

Rihanna- Take A Bow (Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded, 2008)

Neyo- Fade Into The Background (Year of the Gentlemen, 2008)

Jennifer Hudson- Spotlight (Jennifer Hudson, 2008)

Ciara- Supernatrual (Fantasy Ride, 2008)

Janet Jackson- This Can’t Be Good (Discipline, 2008)

Songs written by The Dream

Britney Spears- Me Against The Music (In The Zone, 2003)

Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne- Gimmie What You Got (Exclusive, 2007)

Ciara ft. Ludacris- High Price (Fantasy Ride, 2008)

J. Holiday- Bed (Back Of My Lac, 2007)

Janet Jackson- Greatest X (Discipline, 2008)

Karina Pasian- 16 @ War (First Love, 2008)

Raheem DeVaughn- Customer (Love Behind The Melody, 2008)

Mariah Carey- Touch My Body (The Emancipation Of Mimi, 2008)

Mary J. Blige- Just Fine (Growing Pains, 2008)

Beyonce- Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) (I Am……Sasha Fierce, 2008)

Nivea ft. Lil Jon- Okay (Complicated, 2005)

Rihanna ft. Jay-Z- Umbrella (Good Girl Gone Bad, 2007)

Usher- Trading Places (Here I Stand, 2008)

The Dream- Living A Lie, Nikki, Playin In Her Air, Falsetto (LoveHate, 2007)

Come on….make the decision; Neyo or The Dream??????? 

Sincerely

Low “I’m Soooooo Sickkkk of love songs” Key 

What would the world be without the screeching effects of Teddy’s vocal trickery echoing through every speaker known to mankind? Many have pondered it, but could/would Teddy lay the device to rest? Would it be tragic for him to retire the vocoder and the rest of his followers, which include Yung Berg, Birdman, Snoop Dog, 50 Cent, Ciara, Jim Jones (he recorded a song in Auto-Tune but canned it), Usher, Chris Brown, R.Kelly, The Dream, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, LowKey (I’m writing this article in Auto-Tune) allowed to still use it? I caught up with Pain yesterday before he hit 106 & Park and asked the Tallahassee Titan if he ever thought about laying the Auto-Tune to rest….

“I did think about it. There was a couple people trying to get me to do it, but I figured I’m the originator of this generation pretty much. Teddy Riley can’t do it better than Roger Troutman, I can’t do it better than Teddy Riley and I’m going to make sure nobody can do it better than me, so there’s no use of retiring it.”

There you have it, T-Pizzle will forever embed his vocals in Auto-Tune tricker. But let me ask you guys, if T-Pain were to retire the vocoder, would be he as popular as he is now?????

SOOOOOOOOUNNNNNNNND OFFFFF!!

Sincerely

Low “Seriously, I wrote this whole blog in Auto-Tune” Key 

But as the young pup grew, I’m assuming valuable lesson after valuable lesson finally found a way into his thick skull and assisted in the development of this mature young man we see before us today. Hell, Bow even admitted it in JD’s latest “Living The Life” Vlog (Video Blog) entry. “I had the big head” Bow admitted. “Being at that time and at that moment, from the first mishap, I felt that I learned everything from Jermaine. I had the ear for music and I felt like I knew everything”.

With that said, I felt like a Top 10 would coincide perfectly with this moment. Without further ado, I present Top 10: 10 Reasons Bow Wow Isn’t Cocky Anymore! Oh and remember, these Top 10 lists are ALLL in good fun, so please remove the “LowKey is a hater” notions from your brains, PLEASE?

10. Jermaine Dupri dresses better than him, sometimes?

9. He recorded an album with Omarion……

8. He’s too old to posses a Napoleon Complex.

7. He lost the title of “Mr. 106 and Park” to Soulja Boy. OUCH?!

6. Game tapped that ass in Madden Football within 10 minutes…..

5. He realized if he kept popping that fly ish, JD would EASILY find another light skinned kid from Columbus, Ohio to make famous.

4. Once you address bloggers, it’s allll down hill after that. And once you address video vixens, it’s REALLY downhill after that…..

3. He made a song called “Marco Polo”. Playing Peak-A-Boo with Soulja Boy in a pool full of females isn’t a good look…..

2. He got caught cheating on Ciara. You can’t posses any cockiness after that…..

1. And after he got caught, 50 Cent went and gave her a comforting hug…..with his shirt off….ON TV!

Sincerely

Low “I like this HUMBLE Bow Wow better” Key

Ciara remains diplomatic about the blogs, but for how long????

CiCi is a lover not a fighter. Talk about her, she brushes it off. Blog about her, she laughs in your face. It’s amazing how tough CiCi’s skin is because nothing faces this lil mama. CiCi recently sat down with Angela Yee over at Shade 45’s, Lip Service, on Sirius Satellite Radio and gave her two cents on the gossip sites, among other things. Here’s what she had to say about the gossip mill….

“I can’t say exactly who’s saying what, but what’s been up is very obvious whoever it is, whether it’s the actual publisher, it’s obvious they have a mission. Honestly, it became quite entertaining to me because a lot of things that were said weren’t true things and it’s funny because I remember reading something about me not working with certain artists for my new album I have coming out. Either way, this situation is nothing but a big mess to me and I chose not to entertain it. At some point in time, I was like, ‘Oh well shoot, I’m waiting for episode number three, too’. It’s very obvious to me because I’ve been able to see different things and alot of this stuff is only happening to me. But also, that’s a very negative site. I will say that because I’ve seen other statements on other people that literally is negative, consistently, and it’s very obvious on what it is. But you also have cool other sites like ConcreteLoop and TheYBF who post videos, talk about politics and report o stuff outside of the gossip.”

You gotta love Ciara’s positive attitude, but I’m sure, behind closed doors of course, Ciara’s voiced a NOT SO nice opinion about these hateful gossip sites. Either way, ya gotta love CiCi!

Sincerely

Low “If they’re constantly talking ish about you, you must be doing something right” Key

CiCi’s got something to say……

First listen: ehhhh, didn’t really dig it

Second listen: hooked up the CPU to my sound system and let it knock for a a couple of minutes…

Third listen: My niece came running downstairs after it was over and said, “Uncle play the song again”

Fourth listen: Loaded up the B.ET. You Haven’t Heard This post, and continued to knock my head in an erratic manner.

Second single status??? I have no idea, but from what I heard, Ciara’s, Fantasy Ride just might see the “delayed” high beams flash once again.  Anywho, this lil diddy KNOCKS!

Ciara- Echo (Prod. By Danja Handz)

Like it, Love it or Leave It?????

Sincerely

Low “Don’t worry CiCi, I hear you LOUD AND CLEAR” Key

This just might be one of the best post related B-Day presents I’ve ever received. ATL’s R&B Princess, Ciara, takes to the pages of VIBE…umm, well, NAKED! Is this a good look for shorty doo wop???? Ehhhh, I dunno, but as of right now, from my perspective, this view is DOPE! Ciara discusses her fame, her new album and of course dating, among other things, in the October issue. Check out the quotes below. Oh and if you’ve been under a rock lately, she recently released her official first single, “Go Girl” featuring T-Pain, the other day….CHECK IT OUT! 

Ciara on dealing with fame… 
“I was meticulous about the things I would share…But people are gonna say what they wanna say…They said I was a man!  It doesn’t get any worse than that.”

Ciara on dating… 
“You don’t have to sell yourself out. Take your time to get to know somebody before you involve the physical aspect…It’s just not the way to start off.  It creates confusion.  When you subtract those things, it allows you to focus more on who the person is.”

Ciara on working with new producers for Fantasy Ride…..
“You’re gonna get more attitude, more aggressiveness—everything is intensified…You get your sensual vibe.  You’re gonna get the street, you’re gonna get the hood.”

 BEAUTIFUL…..JUST BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

Sincerely

Low “Damn Bow Wow, YOU BLEW IT!” Key