SoSickWitItYo and ICECrush's Favorite Posts!!! (Reverse Chronological Order):

1. The Greatest Music Stumble of All Time: A Stumblers Dream!!!
2. We The Kings INTERVIEW!!!
3. Remix of the Week: Stand By Me / Beautiful Girls
4. ICECrush and BigRedMusik's Latest Mixtape!!!
5. Charles Hamilton - Well Isn't This Awkward [Review]
6. TGLR Bape Groupies Wallpaper
7. My Take On Things
8. Big Sean - Finally Famous Review
9. Akon - Freedom Review
10. Cold-Playing Satriani Song? & Grammy Family
11. Kanye West - 808's & Heartbreak Review
12. The Palin Problem
13. Top Ten Reasons To Hate 50 Cent
14. Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
15. Mariah Carey - E=MC²
16. Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi
17. The Best of the Best: SNL's Live Performances
18. A Leak In The Industry
19. Kanye West: The Man, The Myth, The Legend
20. CRS (Child Rebel Soldier)
21. Music & Politics: Part II
22. Music & Politics
23. Matt Costa - News & Reviews
24. An 'Idol' Loses His Record Deal...Surprise??? Nahht.
25. Chris Brown - Exclusive

Tha Good Life Reviews - WE DO MUSIC.
Fresh Young Bloggers Keepin' It Real
Since 2007

Tags: Favorites, We The Kings, Charles Hamilton, Bape, Remix, Big Sean, Akon, Coldplay, Satriani, Kanye, Palin, 50 Cent, Lil' Wayne, Mariah Carey, SNL, CRS, Music, Politics, Matt Costa, American Idol, Chris Brown, Hot, Fresh, Dope, Nice

Love vs. Money Alternate Album Cover

The-Dream has done it again, and for the second time in his career he has put together an amazing R&B album that truly has very little flaws. I don't really know what makes this album so great, but there is just something about it! The featured artists on the album are what I think made the album what it is. People like Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Ludacris, Lil' Jon, Fabulous, Juelz Santana and Rick Ross really helped out on some of the tracks, and the beats that Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, The-Dream, LOS Da Mystro, Lil Jon helped The-Dream put together really made this second album something great. Love vs. Money dropped on March 10th, 2009 and sold 151,000 copies in its first week on the market. The album reached a whopping number two on Billboard's Billboard 200, and Rolling Stone gave the album a four and a half star ranking out of five stars.

The-Dream is a R&B monster, and he has been since he first hit the music scene with Lovehate. The album really helped propel him to the level he currently is at, and if he puts out a third album at this level (this could potentially be the Love King album with Kanye West) the he may become more popular then Chris Brown. If you know the story behind Chris Breezy and The-Dream, you would know that the two of them do not really get along (even if they say they are on solid ground). In light of Chris Brown's recent actions against Rihanna, The-Dream may take over CB's fan base and become the bigger and better musician in the R&B industry, and if The-Dream keeps putting out albums like this, then he will be the biggest name in the music industry overall!!! Anyway, ya'll heard what I have had to say about the album and The-Dream's musical career, but you need to be the judge yourselves! Check out The-Dream's sophomore release, Love vs. Money, in stores now!!!

Check Out The Preview Review... The-Dream - Love vs. Money (Preview Review)

Love King Album News Can Be Found Here

Love vs. Money Track Listing:

Money Intro
Rockin That Thing
Walkin' On The Moon (Feat. Kanye West)
My Love (Feat. Mariah Carey)
Put It Down
Sweat It Out
Take You Home 2 My Mama
Love vs. Money
Love vs. Money (Part 2)
Fancy
Right Side Of My Brain
Mr. Yeah
Kelly's 12 Play
Let Me See The Booty (Feat. Lil' Jon)
Hater (iTunes Bonus Track)
Rockin' That Thing (Official Remix) (Feat. Rick Ross, Fabolous, Ludacris, & Juelz Santana)

More Love King (The-Dream & Kanye West Album) News On The Way!!!

Tha Good Life Reviews - WE DO MUSIC.
Fresh Young Bloggers Keepin' It Real
Since 2007

As you all know, Mariah Carey has dropped her eleventh album, which debuted on April 15th, 2008, was pretty darn good.  She has yet again put her name in the limelight, putting out two very solid singles for the album, and also really showing her versatility as a singer (on the tracks of the album).  Carey's voice really allows her to do whatever she wants, and can be seen on most of the tracks on the album.  As you will see throughout the post, unlike her last album, in which she did retain a lot of her, "sex appeal," this one gets back to some of the same album packaging and photography that was seen in her album, Rainbows.  While this may be the case, the album itself still shows a more sophisticated and adult-like Carey, and the lyrics and music also coincide with her new independent/maturer life.

The first single off the album was entitled, "Touch My Body," which got tons of air time on the radio, and was (and still is) an extremely popular song on the web.  The music video was pretty solid, and it featured 30 Rock star, Jack McBayer.  The single was the eighteenth in which Carey had reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.  With this milestone, "Touch My Body" has pushed her into second place with "number one singles," and is also now in third place for writing "number one singles."  As you can see, the single definitely probed the album and sales for the album in a very strong manner.  I would not be surprised if this single was nominated and won  a couple Grammys.  Overall, for her first single, "Touch My Body" was really great, and this can be seen through the 286,000 digital sales that were sold in only the first week of the single's release.  All in all, not only did the single sell well, but also is a great track on the album.  As I had said in my past Mariah Carey review, singles like, "Touch My Body," "It's Like That," and "We Belong Together," are all tracks which really not only helped sales for the album, but also were tracks that show how dominant Carey really is.  A while back, people thought her musical career was over, and that she would never be selling off the chart records and number one singles again.  But here we are, seeing Carey prove the music world wrong, and the single, "Touch My Body" definitely exemplifies that she still got it.

Her second single off the album was released four days ago (a day before the eleventh studio album was released).  The track was entitled, "Bye Bye," and was pretty good.  It was no match to her first single of the album, but good enough to still make me want to listen to the album as a whole.  Her voice in this track is really what makes the track what it is.  She is able to hit all the notes, on all the scales, and her voice is really what could have made or broke this single.  In this case, it "made" the single what it was, and should gain some popularity in the coming weeks after the albums release.  It is featured as track number thirteen on the album, and definitely addresses some aspects of Mariah's life and past.  While you might be saying that this single could never be number one, the track itself will more than likely hit that plateau.  If you look at the lyrics on the track, and listen to the way she sings, you'll see it for yourself, the song can relate to most people in today's world, and is also a song which can bring a tear to one's eye.  While other critics out there may say the track is, "too simple," and that it is just, "an insurance track," I beg to differ.  If you are someone who is reviewing the album as a whole, you can see how the whole album is about her past, and how it all has to do with what she has had to go through during her life.  The track is really good, and if you are a Mariah Carey fan, and you don't have the album yet, check out the single online or preview it on iTunes/Amazon!  It is rumored that for the music video, Carey will be teaming up with Nick Canon, and the music video will be released on April 21st, 2008 (on TRL).  If you want to listen to the single before the music video is released, Mariah Carey performed the song on American Idol, so Click Here if you want to give it a listen, and see her performance on Idol.

So now that you know a little bit more about the singles, lets get down the the album as a whole.  As I mentioned earlier, Carey for sure tried many different types of genre's on the album.  On the track entitled, "Cruise Control," you can hear the reggae beat and how she does with it.  I must say, that track is a good one, as the beats and her voice mesh very nicely together.  The album itself sold 154,000 copies on its first day of release (in America), and in my opinion was equally as good as her 2005 comeback release of, The Emancipation of Mimi.  Overall, the album was really good, and definitely is a quality return album after her emancipated tenth studio release.  If you are a Mariah Carey fan, go out an pick up her album, and if you were a past fan of hers, who just hasn't listened to her stuff since Charmbracelet, I would suggest either previewing this and her last album on iTunes, or giving the singles a listen through YouTube or some other online music video site.  Overall, a quality album by the Pop/R&B singer.

Track Listing For E=MC²:

"Migrate (Feat. T-Pain)" (8.9 out of 10)
"Touch My Body" (9.6 out of 10)
"Cruise Control (Feat. Damian Marley)" (8.8 out of 10)
"I Stay In Love" (8.2 out of 10)

"Side Effects (Feat. Young Jeezy)" (8.7 out of 10)
"I'm That Chick" (8.4 out of 10)
"Love Story" (8.5 out of 10)
"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" (8.7 out of 10)
"Last Kiss" (8.1 out of 10)
"Thanx 4 Nothin'" (8.3 out of 10)
"O.O.C." (8.8 out of 10)
"For The Record" (8.3 out of 10)
"Bye Bye" (9.3 out of 10)
"I Wish You Well" (9 out of 10)

Alternative Album Artwork

2006 Grammy Nominations & Winnings:

Nominated For "Album of the Year"

Won "Best Contemporary R&B Album"

Nominated For "Record of the Year"

Nominated For "Song of the Year"

Nominated For "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance"

Won "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance"

Nominated For "Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance"

Won "Best R&B Song"

2007 Grammy Nominations:

Nominated For "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance"

Nominated For "Best R&B Song"

Above are all the nominations and winnings that this album generated. As you can see for yourself, Mariah Carey's tenth release was one which really turned her musical career around. People on the web and in the papers were critical of her musical productions before the release of The Emancipation of Mimi. Many people out there were saying that her musical career was over, and that she was just another childhood star who had crashed and burned. With the release of her 2005 album, all those who thought her career was over had to take a second look at Ms. Mimi, and re-think what they had once said about her musical career. In my opinion, this album was one of her best ones, really tying in with the new sort of music scene that was going on. Her five octave voice (some say she hits seven or eight octaves) showcased how good she really was, and how well her voice was suited for R&B music.

As we have said before on the blog, Mariah Carey is coming out with another album, this one being her eleventh.  So to prep you all for her April 15th release, we will do a review from her 2005 hit release entitled, The Emancipation of Mimi.  First off, lets tell you just how good this album was.  Due to the album looking too similar to Beyonce's album cover, it was changed from the album art shown to the left, to the one you see to on top of the post.  Many fans of both music stars noticed the similarities, which caused the change of album art.  The one to your left definitly does not look like the Mariah Carey we all know.  She is definitly darker, almost like she has a tan, and her costume/background look to the album is indeed similar to Beyonce's ever so popular album entitled, Dangerously In Love.

So what made this album so successful, and so good?  Unlike her past albums, there was little to no promotion.  This time, her 2005 release got tons of coverage on the web, on the radios, and on television.  Many of her songs appeared on shows in the UK, and Mariah Carey was doing interviews with radio stations.  The firing of her old personal manager, and the hiring of her new and present publicist, allowed her to further advance the promotion of her album.   Another thing that was different about this album was the general approach to it.  The album cover was well put together, and her singles for the album also had fantastic artwork as well.  For instance, take a look at the album artwork for, "It's Like That."  Compare that to her single off of Charmbracelet (her 2002 release) entitled, "Bringin' On the Heartbreak."  Yea, it is nice to have a picture of the artist on the cover of the single, but would you rather pick up a copy of a single which looks like the one off of her 2002 release?  Or would you rather pick up the way cooler looking "It's Like That," and give that a listen instead.  I think we all know the answer to that question.

The Emancipation of Mimi generated 404,000 copies within its first week of release in the U.S.  It was number one on Billboard Magazine's R&B/Hip-Hop Album Chart for five straight weeks.  At the end of the year, it was announced that Carey had sold 7.7 Million copies of the album (on a global level).  The album was the second highest selling album next to Coldplay's X&Y.  Like I said earlier, the promotions for the album really did help sales and popularity, but besides that, Carey decided for this album, she would release six singles (in the U.S.).  By releasing six singles, Carey allowed fans, and people who listen to the radio to really get a taste of what her album was going to be about.  The second single off the album was, "We Belong Together."  This single got tons of nominations in the Grammys, and was the second solid track to be released off her 2005 release.  In my opinion, Carey made a smart decision in releasing the six singles, mainly because when you release that many, and the tracks get as much air time as they do on the radio, it gets people excited for the album as a whole.  Also, when an artist releases six quality tracks before the album is released, you know for sure that the album as a whole is going to be good.  If you are willing to release that many tracks, then the artist must feel that the album as a whole has to be really good.

Overall, The Emancipation of Mimi was one of Mariah Carey's best releases of her musical career.  The album showed maturity from her young idol status, and also shed a new light on Mariah Carey's career.  With this 2005 release, we here at TGLR can safely say that her up and coming release will be just as good.  We hope that this review gives you all a bit more information and understanding behind the very successful album.  Mariah Carey did a great job putting everything together as a whole, bringing the club scene themes in her songs with her beautiful and highly skilled voice.  If you used to be or never were a Carey fan, then pick up The Emancipation of Mimi, and give it a listen.  Her 2005 release is so much different then all her other ones, and I promise that if you are a Pop/R&B/Hip-Hop music fan, then you will enjoy the album.  In three days, Mariah Carey will be releasing her eleventh studio album, and if you like what you hear on her 2005 release, I am sure you will also enjoy E=MC², due out April 15th.

Track Listing For The Emancipation of Mimi:

Multiple Track Listings, The Track Listing Depends On Where The Album Was Release.

U.S. Album Release:

"It's Like That" (9 out of 10)
"We Belong Together" (9.4 out of 10)
"Shake It Off" (8.6 out of 10)
"Mine Again" (8.6 out of 10)
"Say Somethin' (Feat. Snoop Dogg)" (8.4 out of 10)

"Stay the Night" (8.5 out of 10)
"Get Your Number (Feat. Jermaine Dupri)" (8.9 out of 10)
"One and Only (Feat. Twista)" (9.1 out of 10)
"Circles" (8.5 out of 10)
"Your Girl" (8.3 out of 10)
"I Wish You Knew" (8.7 out of 10)
"To the Floor (Feat. Nelly)" (9.3 out of 10)
"Joy Ride" (8.8 out of 10)
"Fly Like a Bird" (9 out of 10)

Ultra-Platinum Deluxe Edition U.S. Release:

"Don't Forget About Us"
"Makin' It Last All Night (What It Do) (Feat. Jermaine Dupri)"
"So Lonely (One & Only, Pt. 2) (Feat. Twista)"
"We Belong Together (Remix) (Feat. Jadakiss & Styles P.)"

Non-U.S. Edition:

U.S. Track Listing + "Sprung"

Japanese Edition:

U.S. Track Listing + "Sprung" & "Secret Love"

Ultra-Platinum Deluxe Edition Japan Release:

U.S. Track Listing + The Following Tracks...

"Sprung"
"Secret Love"
"Don't Forget About Us"
"Makin' It Last All Night (What It Do) (Feat. Jermaine Dupri)"
"So Lonely (Feat. Twista)"
"We Belong Together (Remix) (Feat. Jadakiss & Styles P.)"

Mariah Carey has been in the music industry for a long time now, and has really changed the industry.  Her latest single entitled, "Touch My Body" is a great song.  It flows, her voice is great (as usual), and the beat flows very nicely.  If this is any sign of what her album will be like, then I am extremely excited for it!  The music video that she released for the song is comedic and funny.  I really did like Mariah's first single, and I can't wait to hear more tracks for the upcoming April 15 release.

On a side note, some news on the album itself.  The title E=MC² supposedly stands for: "Emancipation equals Mariah Carey to the second power."  There has been a list of songs released on the web that is supposedly the track listing of the album, but from where I am looking at it, the list of tracks has not been confirmed.

Unconfirmed Track Listing:
"Lovin' You Long Time"
"Touch My Body"
"That Chick"
"Thanx for Nothin'"
"For the Record"
"Migrate"
"Cruise Control"
"Love Story"
"OOC"
"Bye Bye"

"Touch My Body" Music Video:

Make Sure To Tune Into SNL Tonight To Watch Mariah Carey Perform Live.  She Was Not Originally Scheduled To Be On The Show, But Due To Janet Jackson Becoming Ill, Mariah Will Be Taking Her Spot.  From What I Understand, She Will Be Singing, "Touch My Body" and "Migrate."  I Have Only Heard Her First Single ("Touch My Body"), So If She Sings "Migrate" I Will Let You All Know What I Think Of It!

In April of 2008, Mariah Carey will drop her eleventh album entitled E=MC².  The album looks to be good if it is as good as her first single release entitled, "Touch My Body."  Mariah's past release was great, and personally one of my favorite Mariah Carey albums of all time.  I look forward to her April release, and check below for the verified tracks on the album!

Set Release Dates: (As of Now)

Japan - April 9th, 2008

United Kingdom - April 14th, 2008

United States - April 15th, 2008

Track Listing:

"Lovin' You Long Time"
"Touch My Body"
"That Chick"
"Heat"
"Thanx for Nothin'"
"For the Record"
"4Real 4Real"
"Migrate (Feat. T-Pain)
"Cruise Control (Feat. Damian Marley)"
"Love Story"
"OOC"
"Bye Bye"
"Last Kiss (Feat. Jermaine Dupri)"