New Music Video: Amerie - Heard 'Em All

Amerie's is back with her new-jack-swag [as in, her new attempts at swagger-jackin]. Heard 'Em All is the second single [the first one was Why R U] from her new album Love and War. The video was directed by Anthony Mandler who obviously has an obsession with the dark as his CV boasts video such as Disturbia and Run This Town. You would have probably noticed this within the first few seconds of the video as the lighting, bad-ass/evil theme, blah blah.

The red-riding hood Amerie 'rocks' in the video is obviously supposed to symbolise danger. How smart! I mean, who would think of that! However, the only danger here is that the tidal wave that is Rihanna will crash down on her weak image and wipe out any chance of succes as the Disturbed singer is planning to release new material soon [great... I can't wait to hear Rihanna's 'will yell for fame' ass ruining good beats].

Now, the song. Yet again, Amerie is screeching in vain like a car horn among millions of other cars in traffic. No one cares and it's not going to get her anywhere. Not to mention, the song is all over the place. The verses are like one bar long before she starts chanting 'hooo-heyy-hooo', then drilling 'keep doin somethin cos something aint been done to me' into us.

Random thing I noticed - During the first verse she's accompanied by what looks like all-black dancers; the second verse she is surrounded by Lady Gaga dopplegangers. Why? Is there a message behind this? I know the Illuminati theorists are usually jump at the chance to analyse stuff like this but I doubt even they consider Amerie's video a 'hot' topic [but then again, it was warm enough for me to write about it!].


Pros: She looks good...but she always does so it's whatever. The beat could be a grower, if you're really desperate and have nothing else to do for the next couple of weeks.

Cons: Her poor attempt at a West-Indian accent in the beginning.

Uninspiring, unexciting, unrelated choreography [what's up with the dancing in her awkwardly, slow breakdown at 3.00mins?].


QUICK ROUND UP- She's pretty and the video is pretty dull. The beat is sassy so single girls will love it because they can point at their friends on the dancefloor and sing about how they don't need a man, their independence etc. Girls who have men will hate the song because it will be a constant reminder of their man's obsession with A's legs. Everyone else will hope that there is a remix.

Before I finish, there's this one thing, that had me trippin'....she start's the song singing....

"It's Amerie,
I took a lil time out,
Took a vacation, but boys I'm back"

Erm, what vacation?? Amerie has got it all twisted, WE took a vacation on her ass. Did you download her last single, Gotta Work? Nope.

Amerie, Let us know when your planning another vacation so we can take the ear plugs out. Heard 'em all...we've heard enough, thanks.

Amerie.....please get back to these days...

*I am* Hood in my mismatched checked pyjamas and off to get ready for Yinkz B'day meal. WOOOOO!!! HAPPY BDAY TO 'The girl of many funny tales'!!!

We did it like that and now we do it like this...

Sooooo....it's 5.17am and what am I doing....go on, guess.......yep - I'M HERE!!!! I'm overly hungry and I'M HERE!!!

[I'm posting just to get me back into the swing of thangs so bare with me]

It's been a busy one, as usual. I came back from spain [my fourth and final getaway] two weeks ago then jumped straight into a two week placement at RWD magazine so I should just slide straight into the blog right? Wrong! I'm rusty! Along with many other 'skills' I have, my writing isn't as speedy gonzalez as it used to be :( Dahwell. It will be in about *looks at watch* 5 posts. Hopefully!

I was just about to post Amerie's new video but I've just noticed they are showing the 300th re-run of Juelz Santana's MTV Cribs. For obvious reasons, I am going to watch it then go to bed with my laptop by my head and wake up to blogging guilt and slight [JR's]writer's block.

See you in the morning for cheerios and iced out milk!

*I am* SOoooooo hungry my ribs are eating themselves and Proper laughing at how Hood Juelz's crib is......all that money and no taste *smh*

Wish I could eat one of these right now but I'd have to go back to Sweden...

....this ice cream place was oh-soo good....I gotta find the best ones out here in London before my birthday and do another 7-day bonanza....ARRGGHHHH TIME IS DOING A RUNNER!!!!!

"Fo' real doe...let's get dis real dough!"

When Jamie Foxx and Martin Lawrence dusted off those matted weaves to bring their famous characters, Wanda and Sheneneh, back to life I was very happy. I still laugh at this comedy short, 'Skank Robbers', which was made exclusively for the BET '09 awards...hopefully this film will be made into a reality....

Update on the waste state

I haven't blogged for a while and I have many reasons/excuses/dilemmas [Boring. Next sentence please...] but lets just fuggedaboutit and keep things moving.

Today I cooked sunday dinner. It was no chicken affair though, instead, lucky pieces of salmon were seasoned in my secret recipe! Honestly, it was very tasty...very!

• Suggested cooking time of salmon: 20mins
• Ditto of small potatoes: 30mins
• Ditto of Roasted peppers/boiled veg: However long I decide to torture the vegetables for
• Ditto of Gravy: 2mins

I'm not very good at maths but if someone can tell me why it took THREE hours to cook that hot-ass meal [by hot-ass I mean the fiery pits of the oven burning my innocent face] be my rhetorical guest. I was going to take an Marks and Spencer type picture of my dinner but couldn't be bothered. I was, and still am, fat[igued] from the last of my jetsetting around Spain. I will do a mini post on the pros and cons on the four holidays I went on this summer....yes, four! Portugal, New York, Sweden and Spain don't pay for themselves you know! I worked so much in between those trips that on one occasion I went to work a few hours after I got back from the airport. Soldier or Slave....or maybe they hooked up.

*I am* HOOD AND PROPER.

Ducks

Yes. That WAS what happened. Now....this is what is GOING to happen. No technical/physical/mental/menstrual [t.m.i] nonsense. They always becomes the fool-proof excuse [even when true] for things that go wrong in my life. As much as my life has been helter-skelter for the past few months, I'm going to change that all! I know who is reading this now and I aim to show and prove what I can do to you!

I've been a rubber duck for too long. Fame driven monsters are taking over......I shall morph into a Mighty Duck. This blog is Emilio Estevez.

*I am* Hood and Proper stuffed because of Nandos & a Strawberry Cornetto McFlurry

Dip-dip dip......set

Cam'ron, and whatever else is left of Dipset, always make me laugh for reasons that I'm sure I would probably deny if ever I was cornered by them. Actually.....no - I definitely think I would keep to that first statement.



Anyways, here's Killa Cam doing his usal nonsense, that at random, makes me laugh.

All he says is "...ERIC"?!?!?! Why do I find it sooo funny....I just don't know why!

I'm soooooooooo tired from my friend's bday!!! AND I gotta pack for Sweden as I am leaving tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!

The word is....

I'm back from NY. yay. obviously I am not happy about it! I wanna go back and everytime I think about it this rap song comes into my head....they sample the words "take me back take me back"...[arghhhh I always do this....i gotta go find what it is now....].

I will do a lil post soon .....I realise that I always say this and it doesn't happen. Yes. This is because I am always doing something long-ass. I was shopping today for something for my FAMILY members to wear at MY graduation...meanwhile....MY outfit is non-existent. I was gonna make one then halfway through making a paper pattern I threw my hands up like a thief caught in the headlights and gave up....DAHHHHWELLLLLLLL!!!! I got me a backupz so its all-to-tha-good-in-tha-hood!

Oh and I will do an MJ post soon [literally my heart was torn in pieces when I found out....on some level I didn't think my hard-nut-self would experience].

By the way...what is this.....

OH NO YOU DON'T KANYE *wagging finger* Maybe you fooled us with the yeezy's don't you dare try and bring back the Timberland's. That's all I beg of you.....please. Please. I don't have nothing against it.....I just feel like you're purposely trying to test your celeb-power...."Will they follow my Timbs flex...? If they do I shall re-invent the Timbs for my next trick.....".

I was going to do a proper post but I am sick [I have been sick since I went to Portugal....if you don't believe me ask my blogger friends.....I'm going to have some scary injections soon to see if I get better]. And I am off to the shops tomorrow.....the last day before my Graduation [how ironic....the topics bout Kanye and Graduation....not really is it?]. I shall brave the horrible weather.....my runny nose/head cold/severe sinus problems to go shopping....for moi?....oh no no no....FOR MY FAMILY!!!!!!!!! Apparantly I am the stylist for the Graduation photos.....I don't mind though.......I'ma cop some heat for them so we can stunt on the losers who gave me crappy grades ahahahaa!!!

Kick-a-Licks: Nike Air Tech Challenge Hybrid

"Broker than a joker but I had to get these trainers,

But I got 'em on a discount - forty percent to be particular,

Should I get da white or black - both are so hot,

But the black is in nubuck, like leather, it's so soft."

[I rap on the weekends lol!]

My trainers have been getting rewinds like all the time since I bought them last week - I can't stop wearing them! I think it's cos I have a thing for shoes/kicks that are nubuck/suede. It just feels so good when you can run your fingers over 'em and they feel like a freshly, shaved cat or something [errr the cat was the first thing that came to mind].

If my kicks called talk they would probably sound like Barry White when he was on the block macking on all the hoodchicks......that kinda hoodsmooth that girls just love.... yea....THAT'S how smooth these are....
Oh - remember that rapper, Smooth......no.....okay! I used to really like her song, 'Strawberries', when I was a lil girl....I was in love with the beat so much. I now know that it was because of the Patrice Rushen sample she used.....dahwell...the 90's had heaps of sampled/original songs that are way better than the trash I hear nowadays. Enjoy and Goodnight/Goodmorning!

Hmmm....I have to think about what I will wear to a meal @ TGI Friday's tomorrow [YUM - JACK DANIELS SAUCE!!!].....I gotta remember to wear something that will hide my stomach well so I can shovel loads food into my pie-hole!!!

*I am* Angry my early morning Scrubs is not on cos of Big Brother and Proper tired

Erm....yeah.

The technician dude, who I spoke about in an earlier post, left me a voicemail message this afternoon. It was something along the lines of:

"I won't be at the store on Monday so you can call me on my personal number and we can talk about the installation of the music software.....my number is [this is where he usually mentions the store's number....this time he says his OWN number....]"

ERMMMMM.......yeah.


I told my mum I don't trust giving my laptop away because people can snoop through it all day and night if they want and I would be none the wiser. I wouldn't be suprised if the staff have looked at my personal photos and bits and bobs of my life I have saved on MS Word.

Apparently, the service they did on my laptop can be done in a day. They have had my laptop for two weeks. I phoned up once and some dude was like:

"Oh yeah....you're Miss ***- ****.......yeah the techician was on your laptop most of the day yesterday......he's not here now but I will have a look at it now and see how it's doing.....".


I hate not knowing what they are doing with it!!!!! I just want my life - I mean - laptop back lol!!!
I dunno bout this music software....it's not worth the cringey-ness of phoning some invisible technician outside of his work hours......especially since he ended the voice-message with:

'.....and yeeaa I hope you enjoy your evening..... and get back to me......"

Erm.....??????????

Sunday...the day when the sun always shines the brightest...

I love the fact that whenever I go to church during the summer, the sun shines even brighter than usual! I like blue skies when the pastor preaches...it adds to the encouraging messages. Today's message was along the lines of not letting other people's negative thoughts about us become all we are....or facts be the end of the story [or somethin' like that lol]. Yeah, so at the moment I am a lil worried about my uni results as two of them are really REALLY good, one is alright and the other is so bad I feel like complaining to my Uni! I got them on friday and I am yet to find out my final overall grade until later notice but I have already told myself I will be getting my desired grade [ahahaha.....brave, ain't I!]. I am soooooo cool with whatever I get now because I know that if it is in God's will for me to have a bad grade here or there I should learn from it and work on it. I learnt quite a great deal about myself as a person in Uni, so I will take a lot of posisitve material from the experience and smile, irrespective of my final grade. I will not be brought down by what other people may say about not getting a first class degree etc I know that I am destined for much bigger things than a photograh hanging above the television of me holding a scroll of paper, wearing a rent-a-robe, a weird hat with a tassle [even though I can't wait to wear that hat hahaha], and a smile I practiced and perfected the night before. With my determination, [sorry if I'm sounding cliched - I am being real though ha!] I know I will have more than one thing for my parents to hang on the wall.....period. dot. blank

I heard this song by Coko [the leader of the SWV gang] just before I read my results....I always wanted to know who sung this but my stupid ass didn't look it up 'til today!

*I am* Hood and Proper focused mayn

The Channel AKA Files: "...While I do my BIZNAAAAAAAAZ...."

[Before I go on - for those who don't know, Channel AKA used to be called Channel U until a few months ago.....it's a music video channel that shows videos from any Tom, Dick or Harry......or in this case any Jerome, Nathan or Leon. Basically, it shows 'Urban' music videos that anyone can send in...literally, ANYONE! This opens the door for raw talent and cringeworthy music videos. All in all, it's jokes !]

....whenever I spell the word 'business' as 'biznaaaaz' I am paying homage to Shimmer, a UK videogirl [she says she's an MC but I beg to differ]. The first time I saw her in the Casso Blax video, 'Hollywood', I thought to myself, "wowwww....Amy Winehouse is doing THESE sorta videos now.....someone's light bill ain't been paid for a long'un...", cos they really do look like twins. Both are kinda ghetto in there own way...one spends more time in court than on the stage and is on whatever her 'friends' give her to inhale/inject whilst the other is....erm...just another hoodchick. The similarities end there though....one has talent....the other will be the first to tell you she knows a girl who's ex-boyfriend's cousin's barber is seeing a girl called Talent'ia.

Anyways, back to the matter at hand [familiar lyric...?], in the 'Hollywood' video, Shimmer seems to really enjoy saying the word 'business'. She's trying to do that thing where a rapper discovers a really cool word/phrase/a 'unique' way of saying words and they repeat them constantly. I can't really think of how to explain it but put it this way - how many times did Joe Budden repeat the final word of his sentences in 'Pump It Up'......nope- I dunno either! But, it was effective wasn't it? [insert answer here = _ _ _] However, the only effect Shimmer causes is the mind to ponder on how someone can sound so wasted and wiggidy-whack in such few bars??? And all the crawling'n'slithering she does in the video is creepy. So are her close up shots....too much eyeball - not eneough iris. However, I'm always quoting her remarkable twist on the word 'business' [BEEEZNAAAAAAZ]. My friends do it too [sometimes.....well...once one of 'em - okay it's just me dammit!!!].

The video itself hides the itty-bitty budget they had for the video in the usual way.....black backdrop/low lighting so the viewer cannot tell who's living room it was filmed in....a few girls/guys from the endz making a priceless [as in FREE] cameo for their fifteen minutes o' fame. As they [I] say, "...Channel AKA keep the insurance adverts away...".

Note: Shimmer rips the mic at 1.50secs....

Fuzzy characters and bubbles

Why do coke adverts always have to look so politcally correct and dream-like? Like this advert I just saw today.....it's sooooo cute and the music, courtesy of Calvin Harris, is even better than most adverts. There's just one thing about the advert that I don't like......the product. I don't like coke, I despise coke. But this advert makes me wanna become a coke-head*correction* coke drinker.

"...Independent queen working for her throne...."

I know it's old but this song is still on point! It's a shame I couldn't make it to the video shoot though....especially as the song is about me.... :P

On the subject of Jamie Foxx.....I love his song, 'VIP', so much...it's such an underrated slow-jam....I could listen to this all day....

*I am* Hood and Got my oowwn (woooaahh woaah woaah woooaah)

Spring [Summer] Clean!!

When I went to Portugal, my plan was to eat ice-cream and chill by the sea. No crazy-shopping. No H&M stalking. So you can imagine how stupid I felt when I came back with a whole heap of stuff.......vintage clothes, sunglasses, skirts, t-shirts, bags, etc....I mean, c'mon. How did I manage to go on a shooping spree in friggin PORTUGAL!?!??! It was soooo hot but still I wanted to lumber myself with more clothes. I say this because I have a major problem at home....I cannot move in my room....it's soooo congested with clothes and stuff I can honestly say [after attending some therapy sessions] I don't actually wear. My room currently looks like this at the moment because I'm trying to sort out what I'm gonna keep/sell/tear up into oil rags/send to Ghana [don't ask...it's an African thang lol]....

I will be happy to see my room finally sorted out.....but it's going to get worst because....I gotta bring my stuff from my room on campus [ARGHHHHHHHH] aaaaaand.......I'M GOING TO NEW YORK in two weeks!!!!WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Then I'm going to Sweden and Spain in August......no I am not rich - I'm using the last bit of my student loan money! I'm planning to be broke after all these holidays anyways [like I can choose to be broke or not ahahaha]. I wish those 'house makeover' teams could come and magically build a walk in wardrobe in my room.....[I just got a flashback of how I used to wish that I was in 'The Lion, Witch and The Wardrobe' and incessantly open my wardrobe and hope to see snow and that....I was an only child with a busy imagination].

*I am* Thanking God......I just saw a glimpse of my Uni results....still Hood.....maybe Proper....