Arianna's Insights

Taking a look at my favorties in the music industry.

[arilashay97]

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          Everyone loves Will Smith; The Fresh Prince of Belair is one of my favorite shows of all time. Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith are big stars in the entertainment industry. Both stars have dabbled and had success with music and movies. However, the two have a son by the name of Jaden Smith who is taking the entertainment industry by storm. Jaden Smith has grown into a star himself. Jaden has had great success in both the music and film industry. Starring in his first film alongside his dad in the Pursuit of Happiness to dropping an album entitled Erys on July 5, 2019 which is his middle name spelled backwards.

          Our first glimpse of Jaden was in the Pursuit of Happiness where he would go on to star in movies such as The Karate Kid remake and After Earth. He also starred in the Netflix Original The Get Down, which happened to be one of my Netflix faves until it was cancelled after two seasons. Jaden is also a rapper like his dad however they have very different styles. We first got a glimpse of Jaden’s musical abilities with his rap in Justin Bieber’s song Never Say Never for the movie Karate Kid. If you were to play the song right now, I could recite every word of Jaden’s rap. Of Jaden’s most recent songs my favorite would be Icon. The song shows his maturity and gained him mainstream recognition in the music industry. His new album Erys i have yet to listen to but if the snippets I've heard are any indication of what the album is like it will most definitely find its way onto my Apple Music Library. Jaden has really been stepping outside of his parents’ shadow in the entertainment industry becoming a household name all on his own.

          Another way Jaden is stepping out of his parents’ shadow is through his philanthropic works. Jaden along with his dad has created the water company Just Water, in an effort to reduce pollution in the United States the water is in boxes instead of bottles. He has stated that he plans to get Just Water to citizens of Flint, Michigan who are still dealing with unclean water pipes in their houses. Most recently he fed the homeless in Downtown Los Angeles with food from I Love You Restaurant food truck. The food truck serves vegan food, a healthier option for those able to take part in this movement.

          Jaden Smith has become a star in his own right and he’s only 21 years old with the potential to be even bigger than he already is. Jaden is making a difference in the world and entertainment industry. I can’t wait to witness how far he goes with his efforts. Now let me get to listening to that new album of his!

[arilashay97]

Love Yourz

       “Nobody's perfect, uh, nobody's perfect, ay... ay But you're perfect for me”, just a few lyrics from Nobody’s Perfect by Jermaine Cole. Jermaine Cole known in the music industry as J. Cole. Undeniably J. Cole is my favorite rapper. He has been both lock screen and home screen on my phone. My Apple Music library is filled with songs from both his albums and mixtapes. I have even bought some Dreamville apparel from his website. Can you tell I’m a big fan? J. Cole has been in my playlist since middle school, the only thing I have yet to do is attend one of his concerts.

       J. Cole has a plethora of albums and mixtapes, so I'll just list two of my favorite albums by him. The best album by J. Cole in my opinion is 2014 Forest Hills Drive album released the latter part of the year in 2014. This album went platinum with no features from any other artists. This whole album just showcased the artistry and lyrical ability of J. Cole. Each song tells a story and you’re able to get a mental image because of the way he describes the experiences in each song. My top four songs from this album are 03’ Adolescence, Love Yourz, Hello and No Role Modelz. Love Yourz has to be my all-time favorite of the four because of the message within the song. The message is saying love the life you have because you never know the struggles of someone else’s even if they may have more money, fame or just in a better situation than you are. My second favorite album by J. Cole is titled Born Sinner. This album was released just a year before 2014 Forest Hills Drive in the summer of 2013. Unlike the Forest HIlls Drive album this album included features from artists such Kendrick Lamar, Miguel and the legendary girl group TLC. Crooked Smile, Power Trip and She Knows are my favorites from this album. Not only are these songs my favorites but the music videos that go along with each tell a different story.

       Dreamville Records is a record company cofounded by J. Cole. He created the label, so he is able to release his own music and to give other artists opportunities within the music industry. A couple of artists signed to the label include Ari Lennox and Bas, two artists that I’m beginning to become a fan. On July 5, 2019 the whole Dreamville label crew created and released an album. I’ve listened to the whole album and it’s great. I love every song on the album.

       J. Cole in my opinion is one of the realist lyricists today. His songs tell a story and aren’t what a lot of these mainstream rappers are rapping about in their songs. Some of his songs speak on social injustices like Hello and his music videos depict what is happening in the streets across the United States like the video for Crooked Smile. J. Cole’s lyrics inspires the masses and I cannot wait to see what he has in store in the future.

[arilashay97]

No Problem

       Chancelor Bennett, known by his rap name Chance the Rapper is probably one of the youngest philanthropic rappers of today’s generation of hip hop artists. He has become one of my favorites after being introduced to him back in high school. The 26-year-old Chicago rapper has had a substantial amount of success in his career winning a number of awards including three Grammys for his debut album Coloring Book. He credits Kanye West as someone who has influenced and help jump start his career. He’s done great works of philanthropy for the city of Chicago. His career started when he was suspended from high school for a week and made his first mixtape during that time.

       Chance The Rapper’s first mixtape 10 day was his introduction into hip hop. However, it wasn’t until his second mixtape Acid Rap did he begin to gain some notoriety. This mixtape includes some of my favorite songs, Juice and Cocoa Butter Kisses. His next piece of work his album Coloring Book, has to be in my top favorite albums. I can listen to the album beginning to end without skipping any songs. It gives you a gospel flare and a hip hop groove. Blessings and No Problem are my favorite songs from the album. He is also part of the group The Social Experiment, where Sunday Candy is one of the many songs that I enjoy from the group.

      His philanthropy ranges from educational efforts to gang violence and efforts that deal with the Christian faith. In March of 2017, Chance donated 1,000,000 dollars to the Chicago Public School System to help with improvements within Chicago schools. Chance has programs like SocialWorks that helps children in the city of Chicago have a safe place to go after school. He’s also working to help end gun violence in the city of Chicago also known as Chiraq to those in the city due to the high crime rates. He also partnered with President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper campaign. This campaign was a way to promote the need of popular and civic leaders in the lives of young men of color.

       One of the things Chance is most known for is not being signed to a label. He advocates for more artists to not sign to labels and become the owners of their own masters. He makes it known that not being signed to a label helps artists to become more creative and have more freedom with their music. His success can be used as an example of how labels aren’t always needed to help you succeed in the music industry.

       Chance the Rapper is one of my favorite rappers not only for his music but what he stands for as well. He has done so much to help his community, and this is just the beginning. I’m looking forward to all his upcoming philanthropic works and his upcoming album this summer.

[arilashay97]

Hussle and Motivate

      One of the most prolific, inspirational and probably most underrated artists before his untimely death on March 31, 2019 would be Ermias Joseph Asghedom most notably known as Nipsey Hussle. Nipsey Hussle was a rapper, entrepreneur, and community activist from Southern Los Angeles, specifically the neighborhood of Crenshaw. He rose from the gang culture of Crenshaw to becoming one of the hottest West Coast rappers of our generation. He was truly a visionary in the music industry, his community and the world. His tenure in the industry wasn’t long but his impact will last forever. As his most famous taglines states #TheMarathonContinues through his fans, his family and those he has impacted.

     Although I wasn’t a true fan of Nipsey Hussle before his death after listening to his music and watching a few of his interviews that all changed. Nipsey Hussle has released a total of 13 mixtapes and 1 album. His album interestingly named Victory Lap; would be the last album he would release before his death. His music has an inspiring message in almost everything song. He looks to inspire youth letting them know there is a life outside of gang culture, we should all take charge of our own destinies and how to be wise with money as far as entrepreneurship. A few of my favorite songs by him include Dedication featuring Kendrick Lamar, Grinding All my Life and Higher which isn’t actually his song, but he is the featured artist on the single. One of my favorite quotes of his from the song Perfect Ten is, “Ain't no guarantees, and you know that”. In the song he’s speaking to the fact that what we want in life we aren’t obliged to have, and we have to work towards it and overcome the obstacles of our struggles.

      Not only was Nipsey Hussle a rapper he was an entrepreneur and community activist as well. His businesses include his Marathon Clothing line and being a partner of the Marathon Agency. He also had a partnership with Puma, athletic clothing and sneaker company. They were working to create a line of sneakers together. The Marathon Agency is a company that helps other artists and entrepreneurs further their businesses and careers. His Marathon Clothing Line was a cross between technology and a traditional retail store. When you bought clothing from the store you were able to access exclusive from Nipsey Hussle and other artists through an exclusive app just for store consumers. Nipsey Hussle made sure to place his stores in his community to bring value to where he grew up and show the inhabitants of Crenshaw, they too could make it with hard work and dedication. Days before his death he was set to meet with the Los Angeles police commissioner to discuss ways to help kids in the community and reduce gang violence.

      Nipsey Hussle was not only a gift to his family but a gift to the world, his community and hip hop. He will forever be remembered by us all and his impact will live on forever. The Marathon Continues most definitely through every stream, clothing purchase and interviews that were left for us to consume.

[arilashay97]

       One of my favorite YouTubers happens to be Terrell Grice. Terrell Grice has been a YouTuber since September 5, 2016. I love his animated, vibrant and engaging personality. In his videos he incorporates God while also talking about current culture and artists. His video content consists of music related topics from his Song Association Series, Finish the Lyric Series, reactions to singing videos and Carpool Karaoke series. He has also introduced a new series specially for rappers Try to Guess These Rap Lyrics. Even though he won’t admit it, Terrell himself can actually sing. He has a few singing videos on his channel as well and you find him harmonizing with guests on his channels during episodes of Song Association.

       One of Terrell’s most popular shows is Song Association which happens to be my favorite of the different series on his channel. The whole objective of Song Association is that Terrell gives the artist a word and the artists has to sing a song with that particular word in the title or within the lyrics. For each word the artist has 10 seconds to come up with the song. There aren’t any specific incentives for getting every word other than your own self accomplishment. Guests on Terrell’s Song Association series are artists who haven’t received mainstream status within the music industry. Many artists you may never have heard of unless you’re into watching singing competition shows such as American Idol, The Voice or even Fox’s The Four. He has had some of my favorite artists and artist who I just think are vocal beast on this series, these artists include Amber Riley from Glee, Gospel artists The Walls Group, R&B artist Avery Wilson and viral singer Kevin Ross. From watching this series I’ve been introduced to a multitude of artists such as Durand Bernarr and Candice Boyd. The show allows you to hear the vocal abilities of these artists while also getting to know them on a more intimate level. They discuss their journeys in the music industry and give advice to those looking to enter the industry.

       Song Association really allows you to see the true ability of some of your favorite artists and music artists in general. Terrell’s vibrant personality shines through the screen and makes you feel as if he’s your best friend. Many of the artists on the show have never met Terrell before and you wouldn’t be able to tell that with the dynamic he has with each guest. The season 2 mid-season finale just aired last week and I’m already geeked for the rest of the season. Ready to add new artist to my playlist.

[arilashay97]

A Twist on Taco Tuesday

      I’m pretty sure that we all know what Taco Tuesday is! For those of you who may not know what Taco Tuesday is, here is a little short summary of the event. Taco Tuesday most notably has become an event celebrated in restaurants and households across the United States to bring family and friends together to enjoy tacos and or other Mexican dishes.  Restaurants usually have special promotions and offers on this day such as discounted taco prices and other entertainment inside the restaurant. It is even celebrated in my own household and with friends on campus on certain occasions. Most recently and notably NBA player LeBron James posted a video on his Instagram last week with his family as they showed their excitement for Taco Tuesday within their household. Other celebrities have showed their involvement in Taco Tuesday as well, such as the Kardashians, Jennifer Lopez, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union.

      Taco Tuesday is a widely celebrated event however how it is celebrated is different for some individuals. Take Stevie Mackey for example. Stevie Mackey is a singer and vocal coach. Mackey has worked/works with some of the most famous music artist today including Jennifer Lopez, Lenny Kravitz, Kelly Rowland, Selena Gomez and other artists. He has been a vocal coach on shows such as the Voice and recently has been asked to join the Grammys voting members. How is Mackey’s Taco Tuesday different from others, you may ask? He hosts the event in his California home where he invites other singers/artists to his home to enjoy each other’s company all while entertaining each other with their musical and vocal abilities. Taco Tuesday in the Mackey residence is like a full-blown concert. The musical artists and singers that attend Mackey’s Taco Tuesday are those who aren’t mainstream artists and are usually those who work and have accomplishments behind the scenes and are striving to gain more notability for their own works in the music industry. Many of the artist put their own spin on infamous songs by other artist such as Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé and Earth Wind and Fire.

      Why is Mackey’s event significant? Throughout the duration, those in attendance usually have their mobile devices out using live on social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook. This is where their followers are able to view the talent of these artists from where ever they are. Some followers record the live feeds and place them on sites like YouTube for an even wider viewership. The artist is able to gain new fans and recognition through no marketing efforts of their own. After hearing what these artists can do to famous artists’ songs, fans search to see what these artists own original music has to offer. While Mackey is enjoying time with his fellow peers and his friends, he also gives them a platform to gain the notoriety that they deserve. Artist such as Avery Wilson, Amber Riley from Glee, Durand Bernarr and Gene Noble are just a few of the artists that have gained new fans from this event being posted on social media sites.