Introducing : Ella Eyre

My new music obsession is the sometime Rudimental front-woman and recent Brit Award winner, Ella Eyre. This London born vocal goddess is only 19 years old and has already lent her voice to a number one single which some of you may know as Waiting All Night.
Not only is she a strong vocalist with flawless locks but she has the stage presence and confidence of someone twice her age.
Her voice and music has garnered much critical attention and a solid fan base who I am sure will see Ella to a number one album later in the year. Until then, have a listen to her feel-good single Deeper.

The Evolution of Hip Hop Dancing: 1994-2014

Inspired by the recent performance by Will Smith and Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, I have constructed a short history lesson through the evolution of hip hop dancing over the past 20 years.

In 1994 a song and dance called Tootsee Roll came along and changed the face of hip hop dancing by showcasing that lack of rhythm shouldn't stop you from moving.

The original twerk song was released in 1998 by Juvenile but back then it was known as 'booty poppin' (as the girls are exemplifying in the video).

Lean Back by Terror Squad introduced a new kind of dance into the clubs that was far more suitable for those 'cool' guys hovering at the side of the dance floor. There is no need to even move your feet when this song drops, just lean.

In 2004, it was the cheesy yet catchy tunes of Cha Cha Slide which had everyone sliding to the left, right and criss-crossing.

Soulja Boy may be a one hit wonder but that one hit created a dance epidemic which still brings people to the dance floor today.

The dance that Chris Brown, Beyonce and even Michelle Obama have attempted (some more successfully then others) and one of the few hip hop dances that actually requires any sort of ability to dance. The dougie found fame after this song became a club hit.

The most recent dance craze is known as twerking. However, it has existed for far longer than most of the other dances on this list but it has become a mainstream and viral success thanks to Miley Cyrus. Now every other rap song wants you to 'twerk it' and every other female hip hop associate has tried.

New Video : Katy Perry

I love Katy's new song Dark Horse featuring Juicy J and that is all thanks to the Dr. Luke production magic which created that amazing drop. It's great to hear a new sound from pop princess Katy.
As for the video, Katy is known for her humour and personality when it comes to her music videos and she has delivered yet another four minutes of entertainment. It has been compared to MJ's Remember The Time due to the Egyptian royalty theme but quirky Katy adds her own touch to the visual which makes it my recommendation of the week.

Introducing : Zendaya

Zendaya, yes that's her real name, is a superstar in the making. She is only 17 years old and has already made a name for herself after starring on a Nickelodeon show and making it to the finals of Dancing With The Stars.
She can sing, dance and she is making a mark on the fashion industry too. With her self-titled album showcasing her maturity and relevance as a new R&B artist, Zendaya is quickly on the rise to stardom. Her new single My Baby samples the beat from Beat It by Sean Kingston and Chris Brown, check it out below!

The Evolution of Mariah Carey

Mariah is one of the biggest divas and greatest voices to ever grace this earth and for over 20 years she has paved the way for female vocalists. She has always remained true to herself as an artist always delivering top quality R&B anthems. So let's take a look at the blossoming of an icon.

This was Mimi's big breakthrough single which started the journey for the starlet in 1990. Her vocals are outstanding and must have really been a novelty back then.

Emotions is possibly my favourite Mariah Carey song and one of her rare slightly uptempo tracks.

Not just Mariah's most popular single to date but one of the most recognisable songs around the world. Not only did Mariah shine vocally but she actually has writing credits on the song - this is her money maker.

Mariah shimmies and shakes for the first time in this uptempo song with its ridiculously catchy hook.

Another hugely popular love song from Mrs Carey which relaunched her slowly fading career and kept her at the top of her game with her 16th Number One.

Alas, it is 2014 and Mariah is still doing big things in the world of music. Her latest release came on Valentine's Day and features the delicious Trey Songz, proving her relevance among current and young stars. You're Mine is everything you would expect from a Mariah ballad and there is nothing wrong with that at all. Her 14th (!!!) album is expected to drop this year and if this song is anything to go by, it will be another smash.

New Video : J. Cole Gets All Dramatic

J. Cole is quickly becoming quite the music video artist. His videos are always captivating, interesting and unique and quite often barely even feature him in them. His latest video is no different - and the song is great too - She Knows tells the painful yet very real story of a young boy and the visuals are largely reminiscent of Power Trip and Crooked Smile.

Drunk In Love Gets Remixed

Beyonce and Jay-Z are a power couple who give great music but when you throw rant-loving rapper Kanye into the mix, things get pretty interesting.
This Drunk In Love Remix gives the original a run for its money and it will be the only version I am listening to from now on!

Valentine's Day Playlist

Whether you're single, dating, in a relationship or going through a break-up, Valentine's Day is special because it allows you to show appreciation for someone you love. But what better way to spend 14th February then with a glass of wine and some great love songs.

Heartbroken

Single and Loving It

Playing The Field

Madly In Love

New Video : No Nonsense Nicki

If you have seen the pics on Instagram last week then you know Nicki has gone back to basics with her image recently and now we get to see why.

Nicki has dropped a video for her new song Lookin Ass Niggas which will feature on the new Young Money album. It includes black and white effects, a barely there outfit and an amazing track which reminds me somewhat of the Nicki from her mixtapes. 

Take a look below! 

The Evolution of Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is notorious for her ever-changing style and evolving music but just this week she posted some telling pictures on Instagram which may be a hint as to what we can expect next form Nicki.
She seems to be going back to her roots, metaphorically and literally, so let's journey back to the beginning of Nicki's career and how she came full circle.

Onika Miraj was discovered by Lil Wayne thanks to this DVD she made called 'The Come Up' and her freestyles and strong attitude caught the Young Money moguls' eye. He quickly signed her and she became the infamous Nicki Minaj.

She started her career as a self-titled 'Harajuku Barbie' which led to her fans being called 'Barbz' and often wore a black clean cut wig and figure hugging outfits.
It was her powerful verses as a feature which first caught the worlds attention but soon her image and personality began to take over.

Her worldwide mainstream breakthrough came courtesy of catchy single Superbass where she also made her mark with a collection of colourful wigs and barely there outfits.

As time went on we saw many sides of Nicki. The animated characters she has created, the sexy businesswoman, the powerful and outspoken rapper and the vulnerable vocalist but something that has never faltered is her great music.

More recently, she has returned to her hip hop origins with her remix of Boss Ass Bitch and everyone seems excited about what this means for her next record.
Whatever happens I am sure this is not the end of Nicki's evolution.

New Music : Iggy Goes Fancy

Iggy Azalea has been off the radar for a little while after huge success with her first three singles but now the blonde bombshell is back with Charli XCX and Fancy. 
I'm not all too keen on the song as I was hoping for something a little different from Iggy this time around but it's just another shallow club banger. The hook is catchy, I must admit, and maybe it will grow on me but as she tries to create buzz in the lead up to her debut album I think Iggy may need more than this.

Ones To Watch : Neon Jungle

After just breaking into the Top 5 with their second single, Braveheart, the four British beauty's have been on a mission to make themselves a household name.
One of their promotional campaigns comes in the form of Youtube cover videos which showcase the girls strong voices; something they haven't necessarily been able to do with their own music yet.
Their most recent cover video was a haunting rendition of the stunning song by Banks called Waiting Game and each of their girls shines in their own right.
Take a listen !

Wake up, Grammys !

The Grammy’s have always dealt with criticism and controversy when it comes to their support of hip-hop. It is a genre which is always hugely under-represented especially being that it is one of the biggest and most influential genres of this generation.

This year was no different. Kendrick Lamar, who released arguably the best rap album of the last five years, walked away with no trophies. Instead, the rap categories awards were all won by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis who don’t even make rap music. Yes, they may rap but they’re music is not aimed at the same audience that Kanye, Jay-Z, Kendrick and Drake reach out to. Macklemore is safe rap made for the masses and the mainstream.

As a result of this, when it came to the voting, many people would have felt more comfortable choosing someone who was better known and more popular even if that meant their album was not the best rap album amongst their peers.

Ben from Macklemore himself admitted he didn’t deserve to win in a text to Kendrick which he shared via Instagram. In the text he said ‘You got robbed’ and ‘It sucks I robbed you’ adding later that he wanted to say this on stage but he was cut off by the cue music. Well, I say, if you really felt that strongly about it then it would have been the first thing you said when you collected your unwarranted award and not an afterthought.

Maybe he truly is upset about winning over his ‘friend’ Kendrick, or maybe he knew there would be a massive backlash, so to save his own skin he opted for the ‘it’s not my fault and I agree with everyone’ card.

I’m not blaming the win on Macklemore and I don’t have anything against his music. In fact, I applaud what he represents and the hustle he had to endure to get to where he is today. But surely such a respected award ceremony as the Grammy’s would realise that they make pop music and not place them in a category where they don’t belong.

This is not the first, and probably not the last, time that the Grammy’s has disappointed and angered the hip-hop community.

Over the past week, statistics have been thrown around just to prove how irrelevant Grammy awards actually are because some of the greatest artists in the world don’t even have one. Tupac, Notorious B.I.G, Nas and Snoop are just some of the rap legends who have never received this momentous accolade in their careers spanning decades.

Furthermore, did anyone notice that Kanye, Drake, Justin Timberlake and Rihanna, to name a few, were absent from this year’s ceremony; all of whom were nominated. It seems they’re all one step ahead in realising the shambles that the Grammy’s is in regards to rap and hip-hop, and knowing that they were not going to win, decided not to waste their time. I don’t blame them.

Next year, I am hoping the public cries from the hip-hop community and rappers themselves are enough to shake up the Grammy’s and make them respect and represent the rap industry a whole lot more. If not, it will only be a couple more years until it loses a large proportion of its audience in the hip-hop community, and its importance will quickly come into question.