Mateo Made Me Blog!

I've been a stranger to my blogspot page and this is true, but in my absence I've been attempting to, both, work hard and get my schooling out of the way. In the process, I've been doing what I do best... LISTENING TO MUSIC! What's life without a soundtrack, right? Anyway, I read blogs belonging to others and I wonder why they have so much time on their hands. They blog about so many things and do so frequently. In a dream world, I, too, would be able to do this and people would actually READ my blog.

I decided to update my page with one of the most beautiful songs I've heard in a while, "Get To Know Me" by Mateo. If I'm not mistaken, he's a singer from here in Los Angeles. I'm not gonna lie, I didn't purchase his EP from iTunes because I downloaded his mixtape that includes most of the songs, but I do love his voice and lyrics! This song hits close to home right now because next month I'll be in a scholarship pageant and the goal is to let the judges see the "real me" and hopefully it'll be great enough to impress them. If we all sought to let people see the real us life would be much more awesome! Too many people pretending to be something that they're not in an effort to impress others. Before I go too hard and get all deep into my issues with people these days, peep out Mateo's great video below...

Mateo - Get To Know Me [Official Video] from Mateo on Vimeo.

Isn't he bomb! If you know him, tell him to hit me up for some vocal lessons because I'd love to sing this at my pageant. Thing is, I can't sing! But I got a month so I can learn eh? Let us pray.... If you wanna get to know Mateo a little more, check him out on MySpace (do people still use MySpace?) www.myspace.com/Mateo

Are You Obsessed With Blogs?

Ok so I haven't written a "blog" since April but I sit here babysitting on a Saturday night excited at the simple fact that I have internet access = ). I'd like to take the time out to address society's obsession with blogs. I know that me and people I know are valid examples of how people can be so concerned with the lives of famous people that they limit the potential for their own.

www.concreteloop.com, www.theybf.com www.necolebitchie.com, and lastly, the most negative site in the world, www.bossip.com are all among the sites that many seem to visit on a daily basis. Why? To see what celebrity was wearing what and where they were... Or if you're anything like me, to get the latest free music downloads. Is this an obsession? Is it really necessary to see Ciara shopping 82 times per week or to get a glimpse of Nas & Kelis' court documents? Why are these thing relevant when they are not even our business? Are the same people that you comment on pictures of or are quick to criticize are those making money while you're sitting at home simply checking up on them via internet blogs. Are you the reason that paparazzi are able to make a living by invading people's privacy? I'm sure that you know the answer to all of these questions...

I wanted to keep this post as brief as possile seeing as though not many people will read it. I just had to get a few thoughts out on paper or shall I say typed online. I have nothing against blogs and I think that they're the cheapest form of marketing/publicity. As a future public relations practitioner, I study topics like this and my findings intrigue me more and more each day. I think it's just as important to visit www.cnn.com as it is to visit www.tmz.com. Actually, it's 8000% more important to catch up on the latest news! But will that change the websites you frequent? Probably not, but the next time you find yourself indulging in gossip or about to leave one of those nasty comments, think of Alex (me duh).

Thanks for reading and don't be too shy to comment; I encourage feedback. I'd like to know that someone's reading so this won't be like my private online diary... lol...

Black Actresses in Hollywood

I know it's been a while since my last post... Not that you've been checking for me or anything. I wanted to touch on an important issue; the lack of roles for African American women in Hollywood. The majority of women we see in movies and on television shows are missing a key element: melanin. I understand that not all shows NEED a "token" black person, but why are we so under-represented these days? In an effort not to restate the multiple arguments that have previously been made by other concerned individuals, I'll focus solely on black actresses.

Can you name ten popular African American actresses in ten seconds? If you can then I applaud you. Now can you tell me which one of them gets paid (per film) as much as Julia Roberts, Katherine Heigl or Angelina Jolie? You may be drawing a blank or thinking of Halle Berry at best... With the lack of "successful" black actresses it seems impossible for someone like me to break into the field of acting. Due to the types of roles that are available, women of color are shaking their groove things in music videos or playing the girlfriend. We are rarely the star of anything nor are black films blockbuster hits. Tyler Perry has my utmost respect for producing films that show blacks in all aspects of life. But is one man enough? Should there be more "black" movies? I sure think so...

Think about the white actresses that are given all this money and end up in some type of scandal; Lindsay Lohan and Mylie Cyrus to be exact. It is just ridiculous the amount of chances(and money) these chicks are given. Keke Palmer, Monique Coleman and Kyla Pratt have never had bad press yet they aren't as sought after. I could SMH and blog all day to express my concerns but I'd rather share pictures of my three favorite black actresses.


Kyla Pratt is my absolute favorite due to her down-to-earth personality and overall beauty (she looks like me LoL).

Sanaa Lathan is just the epitome of bomb.com. I can't think of one role that she didn't do justice. She even had to kiss Wesley Snipes' ugly a** in Disappearing Acts and made that relationship look believable. Kudos to her!


Lastly, Taraji P. Henson because she has evolved so much since we first took notice in the John Singleton film, Baby Boy.

There are plenty of other actresses that I could've mentioned but you're probably tired of reading. What are your picks for the top three black actresses? Hmmm.

Music: Day 26 - "Imma Put It On Her"

Bad Boy recording artists, Day 26, just released a music video for the song "Imma Put It On Her" on MTV.com. The video, directed by Rage, is the first single from their sophmore album, "Forever In A Day." If you've been watching this season of Making The Band 4 you may be wondering why this Q character is even in the video. As of right now, he is acting hella lame on the show. Almost lame enough for me not to tune in, but then again Will is in the band so that's not an option. I'm sure fans will enjoy the track so perhaps another number one album is in store for the R&B group...

I'm not so sure this was the best treatment for the song, but I think it's a pretty decent video. What do you think?

For the most up-to-date information on Day 26 follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/day26 or visit the official page at http://www.day26online.com/. Their album will be in stores on April 14th.

Music: "Brand New" Video Trey Songz

Trey Songz is back on the scene and looking as sexy as ever! Check out his latest video for the buzz track, "Brand New". The video features cameos from many familiar faces including Jim Jones, Brian Michael Cox, Fat Joe, Young Jeezy and more. I think I peeped a little glimpse of Drake as well. The star-studded video appears to be the perfect suspense builder for the singer's upcoming album, "READY." Might I add that Trey Songz is lookin' kinda ready in this video...
Trey Songz - Brand New



The first single from the album will be the mid-tempo jam, "I Need A Girl" which I first heard as a demo by Johnta Austin. I love both versions although Trey's is a bit more polished. His highly anticipated third album is slated for release on June 30th. Let's hope he gets the love he deserves this time around because he is one of the realest R&B artists out at the moment. For additional information, be sure to visit Trey Songz' MySpace page: www.myspace.com/TreySongz AND follow him on twitter www.twitter.com/Songzyuuup.

Gossip: Omarion Married...to Bisexual Stripper???

Rumor has it that the former B2K lead singer Omari Grandberry, best known as Omarion, secretly got married nearly a year ago. Seeing as though he has been off-the-scene for quite some time, this news is not extremely hard to believe. The lucky lady does, however, cause a little confusion. Reports claim that the woman, who is pictured with the singer to the left, formerly worked as a stripper at the popular Atlanta club, Magic City. This isn't the typical girl you'd bring home to Mama, but who are we to judge? Dig this, she is also reported to be a lesbian. Hmmm.... Kanye isn't the only one with an interesting taste in women!

Anyway, Omarion's alleged wife is featured on Magic City's website so be sure to click the link below to view. What do you think? Would Omarion really wed a much taller and controversial young lady?

http://www.magiccity.com/home.html

Music: Kid Cudi Retires???

As I was doing my daily internet browsing I ran across an interesting story... According to his own blog, newcomer Kid Cudi does not plan to release any more solo albums after his debut this summer. The reason for this is that he has chosen to "fall back" on being an artist due to the overwhelming circumstances fame has caused. The MC, best known for hit current hit single "Day N Nite," plans to release a collaboration album with someone named Chip, but it will be his last studio recording. Seeing as though I'm not THE biggest rap fan, I have no clue who Chip is or if their album would sell. Whatever the case, I just thought that this was rather thought-provoking when one considers all the people trying to get into the music business. You may be thinking that so many others would kill for this opportunity... And he's just gonna up and quit?


I had these thoughts at first and then I read further into his blog. I then thought about the state of the music industry and now I couldn't be happier for the man. I mean, records aren't selling and artists only make money on tour and at other random events. He goes on to state that he'll begin focusing on a career in acting and I wish him the best of luck because he sure did a great job in Solange's "T.O.N.Y." video. According to the MC, he will begin shooting an HBO series this August so I'm sure fans are looking forward to that. For your viewing pleasure (actually it's my pleasure) peep one last picture of him looking super bomb below. Also, be sure to read his blog in its entirety by visiting http://www.kidcudi.com/.


(damn, damn, damn)

Music: Case Tryna Get It In Again

I just felt obligated to post about R&B singer, Case. He was one of the best male voices in the mid-90s and "Happily Ever After" is one of the best songs ever in Alex's book of songs. Although he's been off the scene for nearly eight years, he's back with some fire. His latest single, " Lovely," has been getting plenty of radio airplay so peep the video below:


LOVELY


Case's signature sound is back, but will that be enough to secure a decent spot on the charts? With this economy and the way album sales are, it's not likely but be sure to show your support at www.myspace.com/theofficialcasemusic. His first album on an independent label, "The Rose Experience" is slated for release on March 24th.

Keri Hilson's "Make Love" Snippet

Earlier this week Keri Hilson released a video preview for the song "Make Love". The snippet features a cameo from the swaggeriffic Kanye West whom I've never seen looking so sexy. This is definately the direction Keri needs to be moving in especially after the apparent Beyonce/Ciara diss track leak last week. I'm feeling EVERYTHING about this video EXCEPT for the hair!


"Make Love" - Keri Hilson

This song will be the third single from her debut album, In A Perfect World, which drops on March 24th.

Review: BET's Harlem Heights

At a time when reality television is everything but real, BET has premiered Harlem Heights. The series follows the lives of eight “successful” African American 20-somethings living in New York’s legendary Harlem neighborhood. I personally saw only two or three of the cast-mates at work so I’m not so sure if these cast members/ characters should be perceived as successful as the show makes them appear.

As I do with many shows, I’ve picked my favorite cast members early on. All of the men seem decent especially Pierre and Christian. Jason, the short light-skinned guy, may be keeping it too real with his constant Harlem repping BUT he has an enjoyable parenting style! The women are the show’s source of drama and fakeness with cliques already established in the first two episodes. Briana, the brown skinned “fashionista” below, is by far the most ridiculous instigating female I’ve seen on my television screen yet.

SHE WACK!

Overall, I wouldn’t rush home on Monday nights to catch Harlem Nights but I would gaze at the show during times of leisure. BET’s response to popular MTV shows like The Hills and The City is no competition but it is definitely good to see African Americans in a more positive light. What are your thoughts? Did you watch the show? Check out another photo of the entire cast from the premiere party that was held at the Apollo Theatre last night below. Be sure to visit BET.com for more information about the show...

March Music Releases:Kelly Clarkson, Bow Weezy, J.Holiday

Even after an accidental leak on behalf of the Norwegian division of the Apple iTune music service took place, Kelly Clarkson's latest album All I Ever Wanted will be released on March 10, 2009. The album's first single "My Life Would Suck Without You" has been receiving a great deal of airplay on national radio so I predict sales success for the singer’s fourth album.

Bow Wow is Back! The 21 year old rapper will release his seventh studio album, New Jack City II, on March 31, 2009. It was originally slated for release back in December of last year so fans have been anxiously waiting. After the not-so-popular first single "Marco Polo" featuring Soulja Boy failed to create a buzz, Bow Wow and Jermaine Dupree have made every attempt to revamp. "Roc the Mic" features the producer as Bow Wow strives to pay homage to those that came before him. The latest single "You Can Get It All" is strictly for the ladies and should give him the push he needs to ensure album success.

R&B crooner J. Holiday releases his sophomore album, Round 2, on March 10th. The album is the follow-up to his 2007 debut, Back of My ‘Lac, and is led by the first single “It’s Yours”. Judging from the song, the singer will not deprive listeners of the sexy lyrics and sultry sound that they’ve become accustomed to. I personally enjoyed the first album becasuse of tracks like "Pimp In Me" and "Suffocate" so if this new album has anything like that he can definitely expect me to spend $13 at Target next month!

Why I Created this Blog-A-Zine...

Hello All:


I, Alexandria, am a current college student with a bunch of crap on my plate at the moment. My career goal is and has always been to become a broadcast journalist but with the world working how it does, it's always best to wear more than one hat. I've been looking into the field of Public Relations as well so we'll see. In the meantime, I've been making ends meet with my "desk job" while satisfying my journalistic craving by writing for other people's magazines and all that good stuff. When it comes to working for and with other people, I've learned that it can be complicated. Deadlines are extremely important and when rushed I never put forth my best effort. With this as the case, an e-magazine type of thingy is a much better option for me. With no deadline or due dates, I am free to cover what I want and not have my work edited until it is no longer what I intended it to be.

I am hereby stating that if someone isn't issuing checks with my name on it, then they have no right to irk my nerves!

At the suggestion of a co-worker, Leslie, I am starting my own magazine; An e-magazine! It's actually more like a blog right? Whatever the case, this blog/magazine is one that will be extremely cost effective seeing as though it's free for me to do. = )  So here's the deal! I will write and hope that you will read and enjoy my thoughts. I will mainly focus on things and people that interest me most. These things include but are most definitely NOT limited to music (Sammie, Brutha, Brandy, India Arie and many more), food, fashion and anything else that I deem entertaining. I guess will start ya'll off with a few music tidbits that I did this week that will not be published any place else seeing as though I "missed the deadline"....


STAY TUNED & WELCOME TO MY WORLD,

Alexandria aka Alex