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On March 9th Meek Mill visited the “D” to perform for The Motivation Tour with his guest Kash Doll and surprise appearances from Yo Gotti, Payroll Giovanni and Icewear Vezzo.

Through and through Meek kept the crowd going with songs from his first album down to his most current album Championships.

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While I am not the biggest Meek fan I certainly enjoyed his set. He had great energy and he represented for his city. The only negative things that I will say is that his management team sold him short. The venue, The Fox, Detroit, was small and packed to capacity. It definitely felt as though he could have sold out a bigger venue. Also, he ended the show in a slightly abrupt manner. He had his dj play a few Detroit songs and it ended with ‘Burn’ a song featuring Detroit artist Big Sean but the part played and the way it was cut left the audience a tad confused. All in all, outside of the couple things mentioned the night was awesome and I would attend another Meek Mill show.

(A little footage from the concert)

 

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On March 1st 2 Chainz released his fifth studio album Rap or Go to the League. The album was executively produced by Lebron James and it is by far one of 2 Chainz’s best albums.

The album is 14 songs and opens up with a soulful track featuring Marsha Ambrosius, which ultimately sets the tone for the entire album. While we still get tracks we are used to from Chainz  this project is telling of the growth the Atlanta rapper has had over the years. The cadence is there, the selection of beats we love to hear from him are there but there is also a refined touch presented. This project shows that he had a story to tell and it was laid out over the course of the album. Rap or Go to the League was embedded more with Tauheed than 2 Chainz. We hear the pain when he speaks of parents having to bury their children that had been caught up in the street life, we hear the maturity as he makes mention of his wife and children, and of course we get the story behind the title of the album. While many has implied that 2 Chainz is favoring and only presenting two paths in life, it seems to be missed that one, this is from the experiences of 2 Chainz himself but also often in life those are the only options some young folks feel that they have.

This project is one that will be on repeat well into the year. If you’ve been under a rock and haven’t heard it stream it on whatever service you use and enjoy.

 

 

 

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Audiobook: 6h 54m; Release Date: May 1, 2017

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This Is Just My Face by Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe is the story of how the actress came to be in the position that she is in today. From beginning to end it is hard not to be engaged. It was interesting to learn of Gabby’s Senegalese background and of the relationships she has had with both people in the industry as well as in her family. There are a lot of vulnerable periods of her life revealed. The book is worth a read but admittedly it is not one for those who is sensitive or is not fond of sarcasm.

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Audiobook: 10h 47min; Release Date: November 14, 2017

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Jenifer Lewis’ The Mother of Black Hollywood is a raw and honest account of the 62-year-old’s life. Lewis doesn’t hesitate to tell it like it is and how it was. Unashamed and 100% unfazed by other people’s opinions, it is abundantly clear that she did not hold back on details that makes up her life story. Stories of a poorer than poor childhood to a successful but often times complicated adulthood the authenticity pours from the actress. Even with over the top theatrical undertones in her storytelling I didn’t doubt any part of it for one minute. Whether you are already familiar with Jenifer Lewis or not her memoir is worth the read. It’s one that I would even recommend listening to because reading it may not mirror the same experience as hearing the words from the author’s mouth.

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On February 22, Kehlani released her 9 track mixtape While We Wait. Each track is like a page from a diary. The lyrics are vulnerable and relatable. While there has been incidents that have shadowed the artist’s career, one thing seems to be clear, she is very talented.

 

Other releases:

FATHER OF 4, Offset
Worthy, India.Aire
The Rebirth, Eric Bellinger
So Far Gone, Drake

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Audiobook: 9 hrs 7 mins; Release Date: January 31, 2017

Keke Palmer’s I Don’t Belong to You is both the title of her autobiography and her first released song. Palmer explores her life as an actress and singer and ultimately how her career led her to many revelations in her personal life.

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I am one of many who is most familiar with Keke Palmer from her role in the 2006 movie Akeelah and the Bee and some of her media stunts. As with many books written by celebrities this was a recollection of Palmers upbringing, career successes and failures. The storytelling in this book, although based on her truth, to me sounded unauthentic. Even in parts where it seemed she tried to “dig deep” I wasn’t convinced that the information shared was nothing more than lackluster surface information. I was bored and turned off by the formatting. Overall it was a disappointing listen.

 

 

 

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In case you were under a rock and missed it here’s a recap of some things that happened in January:

 

  • Jan 3rd:  People everywhere was glued to their TV for the premiere of the Surviving R. Kelly three part series. In total the series is 6 hours and was featured on the Lifetime network.

 

  • Jan 16th: Souljah Boy goes on The Breakfast Club. You’ve seen the memes for sure! The interview may have gone viral for Souljah Boy’s reaction when asked about some of his peers but overall the interview itself was very good. If you missed it, check it out!

 

  • Jan 23rd: J . Cole released his single Middle Child and the late XXXtentacion’s album Members Only, vol. 4 was released.

 

  • Jan 25th: Summer Walker’s Clear, EP was released.

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2019 has started with mostly rap releases and The Movement is one. On January 20th, Freestyle Fanatic, a new artist on the rise, released his debut album The Movement. From start to finish you’re met with smooth beats and relatable lyrics. This is not your everyday album and if you’re looking for mumble rap you won’t find it here. Overall, it seems that this artist is on the path to what will be a successful music career.

 

This album is available on all streaming platforms and a physical copy can be purchased from the artist.

The Movement

Follow him on Instagram: freestyle_fanatic

 

Other releases:

 

FUTURE
DREEZY
PAYROLL GIOVANNI
SADA BABY

 

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Length 6 hrs 29 min; Released 2017

Tiffany Haddish in her autobiography The Last Black Unicorn, without a doubt delivers a collection of stories about her life that makes you literally laugh out loud. Even though not everything in the book is intended to be humorous, you can’t help but laugh. Although some critics disputed the credibility of Haddish’s book I would argue that perception is subjective and even if some of it was exaggerated she is a comedian.

All in all, the book was reflective of what most love about Tiffany Haddish, she did not hold back. I thoroughly enjoyed it.