J Music – Page 2

J Events: Concert Review of Nicki Minaj’s Pinkprint Tour

August 10, 2015February 2, 2024ayminor

The-Pink-Print-Tour-Nicki-Minaj-Meek-Mill-Review — Courtesy of @nickiminaj.

When The New York Times published their review of The Pinkprint Tour, I was surprised by what appeared to be the article’s general sentiment:

Review: @NICKIMINAJ is at the helm of the best hip-hop tour lineup of the year http://t.co/d6Hqhze9T9 pic.twitter.com/m24VUqTfKB

— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 28, 2015

I’m glad I took the time to read the article, however, because it was a bit more nuanced than the headline would let on. I’ve pulled a few pieces of “subtle shade” from the article that really get at the truth of the matter:

What the NY Times said: In total, the lineup reflected Ms. Minaj’s many parts — tough, sultry, exuberant, colorful, exaggerated. In her own herky-jerky set, though, she was toggling among approaches: street-wise songs, saccharine pop hits, collaborations, collisions of all these. Ms. Minaj’s catalog is so varied, she has colonized so much turf in so many spaces, that unifying it under one umbrella is a challenge. (nytimes.com)

What they meant: Her set was all over the place. There was no real storyline or theme, which is ok I guess, but there was also no real flow. She would jumped from slow to fast, pop to mixtape content, old material to new. It didn’t feel spontaneous, it was just confusing.

What the NY Times said: Often she’s rapping through a grin, striking a pose for the camera, but when she lets the facade down and focuses on the shape and pace of her words, she’s a bulldozer. (nytimes.com)

What they meant: She spent too much time “being cute” and not enough time really diving into the material of her songs. Nicki is know for her many personalities and characters, but she never gave you the full scope on any record she performed, only a taste. I don’t want to see you smiling and giggling during “Lookin’ ***.” Sorry, but no.

What the NY Times said:Meek Mill sped through several of his blustery hits — a minute of one, then another, like a one-sided mixed-martial-arts bout. (nytimes.com)

What they meant: I had no idea Meek was going to perform in between Nicki’s sets, an interesting choice. They took far too much time transitioning between their sets and his first appearance was rather short.

When Meek finally came out he definitely brought the energy up, but he choose to speed through his hits and spent more time on songs that only hardcore fans would know, a mistake in my opinion.

I know it seems I am being super critical of Nicki, but it’s only because I know she can come 10x harder than she did with this tour and the production and overall flow can definitely improve. [For example, I would estimate she spends at least 15-20% of the show trying to make it up and down her set stairs. Either she needs to put on some flats, or take some lessons from Bey, but girl, get it together.] She has the catalog, her stage presence continues to improved, and as a more established artist she has the budget to pull together a great performance, not just mediocre. I guess we shall see what the future holds, until next time.

J Music: “Battlefield” – Jordin Sparks (Cover) TBT

March 26, 2015February 1, 2024ayminor

First TBT on the site — more to come!

J Music: Jazmine Sullivan’s Reality Show Tour at the Fillmore

March 20, 2015February 1, 2024ayminor

My first post in the new year, cheers to 2015!

Last week I had the pleasure of attending my first Jazmine Sullivan concert and I promise you it was every bit the experience you’d think it to be.

I arrived a few minutes after 8:00 to another sold out crowd for the 27-year-old phenom. As soon as her husky vocals came through the loud speakers the crowd roared — she came right back with the same energy. That her vocals were on point comes as no surprise. It was her presence that is a true testament to time, healing and facing your demons.

The theme for her comeback, the tour, and her new album Reality Show is self-love, and these days, Jazmine practices what she preaches. She is happy. She is healthy. She is confident. You saw it in her smile, toss of her hair, even in a few Beyonce-like booty pops (I swear). She’s worked through the pain of her abusive relationship, the insecurities that come with fame and she can now stand firm on who she is. For that, I am thankful for her four year hiatus; she’s a better performer because of it.

You gotta put yourself first. – Jazmine Sullivan

Watch her performance of “Forever Don’t Last” below:

https://youtu.be/CMpdAPHOYaA

Not to worry, Jazmine was still able to effectively channeled her pain without wallowing in it. When performing records like "Forever Don't Last," and of course, "In Love With Another Man," she had folks catching the holy ghost because of that raw, captivating emotion.

The Reality Show Tour opener Jordan Bratton was a natural performer and brought something a little different to the show — a soul-electronic fusion. I’ve yet to find much intel, other than his new single “Danger ft. Fabolous,” but I will keep an eye out.

Luckily for any who missed her March tour dates, Jazmine has added new stops in April, including another performance at the Fillmore. Buy your tickets now before it’s too late!

Check out my snapchat from the night:

J Music: UR Experience Tour at Mohegan Sun Arena

November 16, 2014February 1, 2024ayminor

Usher was my first love. Before the Famous Jett Jackson, before Sammie, before J Boog — there was Usher Raymond IV. You name a record off My Way, 8701, or Confessions and my mind instantly goes to a cherished memory from my childhood. Growing up, Confessions defined for me what success was in the industry — diamond album, sold-out tour, movies, timeless music. Until he went and messed around with Tameka, Usher was the standard.

Some argued after Confessions he had nowhere else to go but down — I had always believed he would be considered one of, if not the best entertainer of our time. Nonetheless, it’s been years since I’ve attached Usher’s career with unmatched excellence. In his stead, Beyonce and Justin Timberlake have risen in the ranks, dominating the industry and record sales.

He has the star power, voice, technical skill, and over 20 years in the business — what is the missing element? It’s a question I have asked myself a thousands times. After attending the UR Experience tour at Mohegan Sun arena in Uncasville, CT, I think I can finally articulate my answer.

I’ll fast-forward through DJ Cassidy (mostly because I missed his set — CP Time), and August Alsina (who sounded much less like a goat than anticipated).

I’ll tell you this, the problem with the concert is not Usher and it’s not the music. For two hours straight Usher performed all of his greatest hits with near perfect precision. He was accompanied by world-class dancers who performed a very high-energy set without hint of fatigue, three background singers, and a full-piece band. His charisma shined as he weaved in personal anecdotes throughout the night, keeping the crowd entertained.

The answer then — lack of innovation. The production value was nowhere near where it should be for a star of his caliber. Let’s start with the staging — a small, triangular stage flanked by two short ramps. There was no second stage. There would be no “flying” around the arena. Fans that weren’t in the front, lower level of the arena had little to no interaction with the star beyond a few shoutouts. There was scattered smoke and pyro throughout the performance, but nothing out of the ordinary for your average concert. There would be no stunning visual elements, no spectacular costume designs, and no storyline or cohesion to the songs performed. I counted one video (the intro), some filtered camera shots, 2 jacket changes, 1 shirt change and 1 hat.

I forgot, I think he changed his sneakers too.

Now I believe had the tour gone as planned, as a promotional tool for the now indefinitely delayed UR, the show would’ve been more along the lines of what I had envisioned. I understand they most likely had to cut back on the scale of the production as a result, but at 36, Usher doesn’t have time to waste on mediocre presentations. He needs something BIG to shake up the industry and remind us who has the #1 spot, and I.M.O. it’s now or never. From the album rollout, to the award show performances, to his tour production — everything needs an infusion of innovation.

Steps down off soapbox.

I know I just went in, butttt purely as a fan, I would still encourage you to attend the tour if it stops in your city. I had a great time, I sang, I danced, and when he flashed those pearly whites….swoon.

The rest of the tour dates are below:

J Music: Danity Kane Isn’t the Only Girl Group Beefing – “Weak” Outtake

August 13, 2014January 30, 2024ayminor

Happy Hump Day!

This past weekend was all about family for me. After a “cousins retreat” to Boston, we decided to record an a cappella version of “Weak” – it’s safe to say trying to rehearse and record in the same day was ambitious.

Check out our train to dysfunction junction, and the closest thing to a harmony we recorded all day.

J Events: On the Run with Bey and Jay at MetLife Stadium

July 19, 2014January 30, 2024ayminor

I love live music.

Attending a concert for me is the ultimate high and low. It’s a testament to the kind of influence that’s possible, and yet also the reminder that there’s work to be done if I want to get from the nosebleeds to the main stage.

A great show is more than just the artist and a pre-recorded track — it’s a live band, background vocalists, trained dancers* and most importantly: the special connection a great artist has with their fans.

The combination of these things keeps me coming back; my sixth time seeing Queen Bey did not disappoint.

We have come to expect excellence from music’s power couple, and that’s exactly what you get with the On The Run Tour.

Last Saturday, over 40,000 people came out to see Bey and Jay at MetLife Stadium. For almost two and a half hours, they had the crowd entranced as they traded off sets, occasionally coming together for brilliant mash-ups of their greatest hits from the last two decades.

Of course it was amazing; but my post-show thoughts are layered. As the self-titled “objective Beyonce stan,” here’s the real:

While it feels special to gain entry, the show itself seems removed, like it’s happening somewhere else on a separate stage, produced by Hollywood men in front of Hollywood cameras. It’s almost as if the whole thing had been filmed and edited ahead of time.

– An excerpt from Jeff Rosenthal’s article for noisey.vice.com

Although I think Jeff’s article was part troll, part truth, he at least grazed the surface of some of my small qualms with the show; in short, it’s damn near perfect.

To be clear, a large part of the concert’s storyline is told through visual elements that were filmed prior to the show, but even the live shots were perfectly-angled and peppered with special effects.

At times, I preferred the view from my binoculars to give me a dose of reality.

If you’ve attended any of Bey’s last 2 tours, you were probably doing most of the choreo and concert-ad libs in your seat, as I was, and are familiar with the “blips of sincere yet programmed PDA ” that Jay and Bey scatter throughout their performances.

Before the show I realized I had never seen a husband and wife headline a concert together — what would be different? The answer was, almost nothing. It felt like an extended performance of any collab they’ve done in the past –it was all business.

I had expected her performance of “Resentment” to be the highlight of my night as it had been one of the most emotionally-charged and talked about moments of the show; but it wasn’t. Although she again changed the lyrics to the song, it didn’t have that “rough around the edges, but straight from the heart” quality that tugs at your heart strings, it just felt like another strategic move by her camp to feign intimacy for the crowd — something extra they threw in post-Miami. Don’t get me wrong, she bodied the song, but it didn’t move me to tears like her 2009 Wynn Last Vegas rendition did, twice.

To my surprise, my favorite, heartfelt performances of the night were her cover of Lauryn Hill’s “Ex-Factor” — The Mamas always amplify anything and everything — and “Pretty Hurts,” which felt like her most vulnerable, and least-methodical performance.

The most moving visual element came at the end of the show, when they share their “real life,” during the “Young Forever/Halo” finale. To see what’s possible in one lifetime — love, marriage, children, sold-out stadiums, significant influence — I couldn’t help but leave brimming over with possibilities.

The number of artists and celebs in attendance, on both nights, just goes to show how

much respect and admiration the power couple have from their peers.

Bey and Jay are the standard.