We are the World 25...my how the world has changed

Today was the VH1 premiere of the "We Are the World" 25th anniversary for Haiti edition. Now, the song /video had actually premiered last night during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Last night was the first time that I watched it..and in all honesty I wasn't really impressed. I was however in awe of what I consider to be one of the greatest musical collaborations of my time (even though it's not of my time...the original was recorded some 2.5 years before my birth) being redone by some of the original artists as well as superstars from today.

However, this afternoon was the VH1 premiere of the video and by that time the awe had warn off. I was highly confused and came to the conclusion that I didn't like the video..at all. The best way to get through this is in a brief list. So here we go:

1. Lil Wayne...autotuned. Look, Lil Wayne can actually spit so why was there a verse where the man was doing his autotune thing and a verse where he was spittin? Yea Wayne is a mega superstar, but please respect the integrity of the song. smh.
2. Swizz Beats. Why? Why was he there? And I heard that Alicia had made an appearance..so why wasn't she on the track?
3. The whole 808 rapper break down section was just too much. It was wrong, it tried incredibly too hard and produced less than desirable results.
4. Homegirl from Pussycat Dolls got to sing with Jennifer Hudson? Umm Jennifer Hudson can hold her own..if she was going to do a "duet" she should have done it with Celine (who was on the original)..that would have been lovely.
5. Did Uncle Lionel even sing? And yes I called him Uncle Lionel because he is like that Uncle who has been around forever and always has really good advice. That's what he is to the music industry...the wise Uncle (who allowed the desire to move units influence the artistic integrity of this remake).
6. Quincy...smh. However, like Lionel I still love you both. I'm just disappointed in the two of you is all.

In my heart of hearts I feel a bit disappointed that many of us in the atmosphere have gone in on the artistic "vision" (I'm not sure I want to call it that, but out of respect for the process I will). I mean at the end of the day this is a charity record and the goal is to raise as much money as possible. However, the fact that it is a charity record will move units on its own. The gimmicks that were used to "move units" aren't necessary. People would buy the record because it is amazing and it supports an amazing cause (helping Haiti). Someone isn't going to buy this record because Lil Wayne is on it..or Justin Bieber is singing his heart out (no offense to little Justin..he is pretty talented and I do hope he has a long career). Just that there is a 25th Anniversary remake of We are the World would be enough to drive sales and spins on the radio.

But enough of the rants, I'll let you decide for yourself.

Here is the original, 1985 version of "We are the World"

and

the New 2010 25th Anniversary edition of "We are the World"

Also, the 25th Anniversary edition is available online..via itunes or wearetheworld25.org

Donate to Download.

Pomp and Snowstorm-stance

" I now confer upon you the degree of...oh wait it's snowing..we have to CANCEL"


It has been a month since my last post. During which I was spending countless hours in the UMBC library, sleeping on friend's couches in College Park, and trying not to fall asleep in my classes. I also managed to rack up enough miles in stop and go traffic between Baltimore County and PG county to acquire the need for new front end brakes and a transmission flush. If there were a such thing as "frequent driver" miles I think I would be racking up nicely.

But alas, on this day, Wednesday, December 23rd, I can proudly say that I have FINISHED my undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland. Usually, this means that one has a graduation ceremony. A time to put on a cap and gown, wear University colors with pride, and listen to embarrassing stories that your parents will share with other relatives/family friends (maybe that's just my family...my mom and dad are both good at "remember the time Cate said yadda yadda when she was 4?"). But then it snowed...

This was no ordinary snow in December in Baltimore; a simple dusting or picturesque 2 inches that crunch under your feet. This was a BLIZZARD. It snowed, and snowed, and did not stop until this past Sunday (It began Friday night). It snowed upwards of 2 feet. When I went to dig my poor little Nissan Sentra out, the snow nearly went to my waist (I'm only 5'2").

Being that commencement exercises at the University of Maryland were scheduled to be held last Saturday and Sunday and a blizzard hit Maryland hard; of course they were cancelled. But alas, my story doesn't end here. They were cancelled AND they weren't rescheduled. Yup. No. make-up. date. at. all.

I got a really "kind" email that explained there would be no alternative ceremony and that I was "welcome" to walk in May. Welcome to walk? Welcome to walk? So you were just going to say "oh gee Ms.Hooper, you worked hard and paid us money to learn but there is no seat for you at the table. Well actually we'll be kind and squeeze you in six months from now."

Outraged I considered starting a petition..I took to twitter letting everyone know I was mad, and seeing that others (who weren't even December grads) were upset and disappointed too.

And what do you know? I got an email 2 days ago saying that my graduation has been rescheduled. That I could in fact walk..and I'll only have to wait 4 weeks to do so instead of six months.

So what if it's going to be a watered down ceremony in Cole Field house...they are still going to call my name. I still get to hear: Catherine L. Hooper, Bachelor of Arts recipient. So yea, I'll take that. I'll be in the house next month and I'll be grinning front row center like a Cheshire cat.

VIDEO PHONE..Beyonce and Lady Gaga

I will keep this uber brief. The video for Beyonce's latest single off of "I Am...Sasha Fierce" is out. There has been much buzz surrounding this video and all the Internet is a-fire with it. It was supposed to be released last week I believe, but for whatever reason it got pushed back.

See it here


Also...my short run down of my thoughts on what I believe is one of the most creative videos Beyonce has done. Before anyone gets their undies in a bunch I said creative videos that Beyonce has done..not most creative in general. If you look closely, you'll see that she has drawn inspiration from a lot of places which I am always pleased when artists do this.

1. The leather gloves that Beyonce is wearing towards the end of the video (where she is wearing the white t-shirt and beanie) are available at Target for $17.99. I bought them last month..I'm sure she didn't get those from Target, but just in case you were intrigued by them
2. I want to learn the chair dance that B and Gaga do at the end. It's pretty fierce..I'm going to have my best friend (who has been dancing practically all her life) to teach me.
3. Lady Gaga is helluh FIERCE in this video. She is about to BLOW and go to the next level. With her sophomore project already in the pipeline, and the release of her newest video last week for "Bad Romance," this was a good look for the Lady. She'll go from selling out mid-size venues to arena shows in a matter of months. Especially with this boost from Beyonce which stamps her as the next pop-diva superstar.
4. The guys wearing the cameras on their heads miming the "video" shooting of B in the beginning remind me of Shania Twain's "Feel Like a Woman" video. Which was inspired by another music video which I cannot remember at the moment. If you remember please post in the comments section as I would love to post it for others to see.

Leave love.....thanks :)

If I was a Rich Girl..

"If I was a rich girl...I'd have all the money in the world, if I were a wealthy girl."

So we're all well aware that we are in a recession. Part of my writing this blog is to sound off about what it's like to be graduating from college into a recession.

But I thought it would be interesting to share with you a list of random things I would do if I had oodles of money and could take some time off before I made my triumphant entry into the work force or grad school. I tweeted a lot of these on Sunday and subsequently blew up my followers timelines.....

1. Buy a tent and camp out in front of Madison Square Garden for a month.

Part "Survivor" part social experiment, part greatest publicity stunt of life (not to toot my own horn or anything like that), who wouldn't want to follow the adventures of a girl from suburban Baltimore living in a camping tent outside of one of the most famous concert venues/sports arenas in the world. I could totally blog about it (I figured my parents would be nice and not cut off my iphone service, so I could blog from that). I'd get to meet some interesting characters, maybe see some stars during concert load-ins. Everything I would ever need would be blocks within reach so that would be pretty cool too. I think there's a McDonalds across the street..or around the corner so there goes my lunch and dinner. I figure I could make some kind of fort that would publicize what I was doing, and maybe some tourist would feel sorry for me and give me a few bucks or buy me a sandwich.

Only thing is I'm one of the girliest people I know. I love my creature comforts. I like heat in the winter, I like my blowdryer and my chi flat iron. I like clean showers and clean bathrooms. I also like to look nice every now and then. I think it would be pretty hard when one is living in a tent. Oh well..I'd suck it up for 30 days.

2. Record the best mash-up album of all times

I have a lot of crazy ideas for albums in my head. Like tons. This album would be some type of crazy mashup concept album. Not too sure what the concept is quite yet but walk with me for a minute...

Imagine an orchestra...let's say the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra..cuz I put on for my Terps. So the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra would provide a soundtrack, there would be mad flute solos. Well because I'm a trained flutist..so yea I would do a bit of soloing and then put some people from my former studio on as soloists as well. And then there would be covers of Jay-Z songs sung in an operatic style. I've always thought that Jay-Z needs to redo some of his music with some opera singers and an orchestra, so no time like the present. Ooo and some of the songs would sound like they were recorded underwater, like you were in an aquarium.

I would tap the best of College Park to make cameos, because like I said I put on for my Terps. So DK, Black Diamond, Sugar Junkie, J.Ferb, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, the Generics, Pandimonium, all of them would be on there. Get Task Productions and the Neptunes on it..it would be EPIC. I think I would go as far to tap in some DMV all stars too..Wale, Tabi Bonney, Phil Ade, some gogo bands. And being that I am from Baltimore there would be a club music inspired track.

It's rather ambitious of me I know, but I just think back to producers who have made amazing concept albums and have tapped in some of their musical buddies. People like Quincy Jones, Babyface (he's more of a songwriter though right?), Pharrell/The Neptunes, ect. I don't claim to be a producer but I seriously hear some pretty awesome music in my head and why not have it recorded?

3. Travel to Australia and hang out at the Sydney Opera House

This one is a bit more believable. If I had a couple thousands dollars to fly across the ocean and crash land in the "land down under."

I fell in love with the Sydney Opera House during the summer of 2000. During the Olympics I saw that magical place flashed across the screen and was in awe of its beauty, its size, its grandeur.

It would be beyond amazing if I traveled to the Sydney, hung out around the Opera House everyday and then got hired as a tour guide because I went on the tour so many times. Again, this would be a pretty awesome blog as well. The adventures of C-Hoops Down Under mate!

4. Teach Kids in the Hood about Mozart

Ok, ok I know some of you may read this and go 0_O? Seriously though I really want kids in the hood to know about classical music, and orchestras, and operas. I want to teach a music class to middle schoolers where I linked popular music with classical music, and especially jazz.

In order to really go further you have to understand where you came from, and you can really trace some popular rap songs back to classical and especially jazz influences.

For one thing Orf's "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana is used sooo much. It's in Nas andPuffy's (he was Puffy then, not Diddy) hit "Hate Me Now," that whole track was influenced by that one sample. Also..how many kids are in love with Beyonce? A lot right? Well that whole Carmen Hip Hopera she did on MTV back in the day is based off of one of my all-time favorite operas, Carmen. That story, while not exactly rated G is a really exciting one. One that I believe would capture the interest of kids who are 12 years old in an inner-city.

Maybe it shows a bit of my own personal ignorance by saying "kids in the hood," but my point is this: it's bad enough that music education is being taking out of areas where kids need an escape from being force-fed information for standardized testing; why not make music education something that relates to their tastes?


Well, this runs the gamut of what I would do after I graduate in 6 weeks if I had a bunch of money and didn't have to worry about repaying student loans, and car insurance, and all that fun adult stuff.

If anyone wants to finance any of these fine ideas (really, I'm forreal here) feel free to contact me.....

F-E-A-R

"I remember you. This feeling isn't new. So please don't be scared of me. Please don't be scared of me." --Drake, "Fear"

Fear. It's a human emotion. It's one that we all experience at some point in our life, but rarely do we admit that we are in fact afraid. We'll offer remedies about what to do to battle fear, how hope lives within us all and that if you remain afraid, you will only stand in your own way. While it is true that fear can consume you if you let it, that doesn't make it any less real.

Lately I've been experiencing fear. In waves. It waxes and wanes like the tide, and isn't always a daily occurrence but it seems to be propelling me forward. Drawing me closer and closer to December 20th.

So why am I afraid? Where is this fear coming from?

I graduate from college on December 20th. Finally, after four and a half years of blood, sweat and tears, I will have a bachelor's degree. Great. Only problem is...where do I go from here?
The easy answer is out into the workforce. I know that I would like to go back to school, but going right away isn't an option for me, and frankly I can't take anymore of school. I need a break..my brain hurts.

So here I am, it's October and I'm planning my triumphant entry into the workforce. Yes, I said triumphant because in spite of my fear I remain hopelessly optimistic. I remember back in May when a lot of my friends were graduating they were all telling me how fortunate I am to be graduating in December. "you can ride out some of this recession" they said. "Things will be so much better by then" they told me.

Whelp, here we are in the midst of one of the worst job markets ever. Executives are getting laid off. What makes you think a company would create an entry level position when they can have an intern or student worker for half the cost? But that is the least of my worries. In fact, that is not really what I am afraid of.

I'm afraid of my career aspirations. Yes, I am afraid of what I have chosen to do with the rest of my life. And somehow, I have to let this fear propel me forward, make me hungry, keep me hungry, let it inspire me.

What I really want to do is have a career in the arts as an arts administrator and have a career in the music business. I believe I'm capable of doing both. But sometimes I get afraid. I become afraid of the dreams that I have because they're so big, they seem larger than life sometimes. I'm afraid because I know that I am going to be taking a paycut compared to my peers when I graduate all because I can't see myself doing anything else. I don't care if I take a job that only pays $20,000 a year if it's what I want to do. Shoot, I will be someones intern when I graduate...I don't care. But honestly, that doesn't make me any less afraid.

I've already started to make sacrifices to plan for my future and go after what I want. I moved back home so I wouldn't have to buy groceries and pay rent. I drive back and forth from Baltimore County to P.G. county everyday. I'm taking 15 credits and working 20 hours a week, and sometimes I can't help but feel afraid. Sometimes I wonder if what I'm doing is in vain, because nothing is guaranteed.

I'm graduating from college with a liberal arts degree. Sometimes I get annoyed when people, after I tell them my major, assume that I can't do anything with that degree. My degree is just a piece of paper that said that I worked hard, and I learned, and I'm capable of doing work. My paper is no different or less valuable than yours.

So this is my opportunity to vent, because I really needed to get this all out into the universe. I believe that hard work pays off, and that you should make sacrifices for the things you love, but I honestly can't help but feel fear every now and then...

"I Do:" Is it possible for a marrige between artistry and commerce?

Last month I got into a rather lively debate with a music industry insider about the current state of the music industry. I can’t recall exactly how we headed down this road; as we started off having casual conversation, but suddenly talk shifted to whether or not Souljah Boy was relevant as an artist and how it didn’t matter if someone was a good singer or rapper as long as they moved units.

Now being the owner of an artistic mind (I went to an arts highschool..BSA stand up!), I couldn’t help but argue for the preservation of artistry in the music industry. I’m one of those people who believes the radio doesn’t really play good music anymore and wouldn’t have Souljah Boy’s album if I got it for free. Well, this gentleman kindly told me that it doesn’t really matter because Souljah Boy is getting people out their seats and he’s moving units and he’s big money. He cited an example where he had been at a party that was full of professionals where they all went crazy for the “Stanky Legg.” That’s all fine and good, and I can’t sit here and say that I don’t go crazy and start dancing when I hear the stanky legg when out and about at night, but I don’t want to hear it twelve times on my commute home.

I don’t have a problem with people making money in the music business. It is a business; meaning the main goal is to be profitable. We all know that some of the richest performers are just that performers. Meaning that they probably aren’t the best singers but they put on a show, you can’t pull your eyes away from them when they are on the stage (Britney spears circa the Britney album). I respect that and know that there is a place for all of that. The Souljah Boys of the world pump money back into their respective labels and support those with less “ commercial appeal.”

What I take issue with is that there is not a happy marriage between commerce and artistry in the case of the music industry. There are very few industries whose profit rest solely on the backs of creative material. Yes there is the music business, and yes there is the publishing business; but beyond that no other industries come to mind.

It is possible for me to go onto a long rant about how there is a lack of competition in radio (I mean there is satellite radio, and the there is Clear Channel, and then Kathy Hughes with Radio One). In reality there are only two record labels and scores of indies, and the proposed Ticketmaster/LiveNation merger would create one of the craziest monopolies of this century. However, it’s obvious that things need to change...but what are these changes?

1. Competition in radio.
Clear Channel owns a lot of radio stations. It’s somewhere in the thousands according to the documentary Before the Music Dies (which you can watch on hulu.com for free). Then there is Radio One which basically has the urban radio market in a chokehold. Whelp, if there isn’t any competition you’re going to hear the same 12 songs over and over again because no one is daring to play anything different. They want to make sure they have your ears. Hmm..maybe the government should step in and make it so that Clear Channel can’t own thousands of radio stations…Imjustsayin.

2. Balance.
Balance is relative. And it is also a very broad term. So what would balance entail? It means that there would be equal parts music that you can party too and music that serves a different purpose. There is room for more than one type of music on the radio. You can swear up and down that there is more than one type of music being played on your radio station but there isn’t. It’s the same beats over and over again with a different cast of characters in each song. A lot of people don’t know what’s out there because they aren’t exposed to it. Honestly, not everyone scours hip hop blogs or has cool music hipsters in their spear of influence.

There is no way to tell what will and won’t work in the future. It is possible that the industry will continue on its commerce-driven path, or that there will be a renaissance of sorts; a “back to basics” approach. With the rise of artists releasing their material via mixtape (thus cutting out the middle man), artists dropping unreleased tracks via twitter, and songs like Jay-Z’s D.O.A., it is possible that a renaissance is already upon us. Perhaps it is possible for commerce and artistry to have a happy and productive union.

I think I'm in LOVE...with VH1...

Back in my highschool days I used to say that watching VH1 was one of my hobbies.  I was (and still am) obsessed with all things pop culture. Where better to feed this hunger and provide thirst for this obsession than VH1?  

For those of you who may not remember, before VH1 turned into all things "chance" and "shot" at love, it was a channel that told artists stories and offered stunning glimpses into the creative process.  

Well I fell madly deeply and truly in love with VH1 all over again after seeing Lil Wayne's Behind the Music on Thursday night.  Aaannd on top of that they are bringing Divas back.  It looks as though VH1 is making a rather aggressive attempt to return to its former self and I love it!

I can admit that I am not a die-hard Lil Wayne fan.  Yes, I am familiar with his body of work, and know some of his story, but I wasn't like "oh shucks gotta go and cop Carter III" when it came out. I like Wayne just enough to keep the radio station tuned in when one of his songs come on, and even more so since I respect this man as an artist (even if his similes and metaphors sometimes annoy the hell out of me).

So the story of Lil Wayne was told in an hour, and on the other side of that hour I found myself having a new-found respect for Wayne, and that's exactly what Behind the Music is supposed to do. It's supposed to give you a glimpse into the mind, the background, the history of the rapper or singer as an artist and human being.  Hearing why Wayne decided he would only create raps off the top of his head was probably what really made me respect him as an artist.  He just felt held back by what he had written down on paper.  And of course, all the typical elements of a Behind the Music were present.  The internal struggle, the passion and drive to make it; for Wayne he wanted to make it beyond being the little skinny looking hype-man in the cash money clique. 

My favorite parts had to be when Wayne discussed what was in that Styrofoam cup that he carries around with him.  He pretty much alluded to what was in there (sizzurp..I know ya'll remember that). He also ate a macintosh apple during one segment of the interview (I kid you not, please let me know if you caught that..I know I wasn't seeing things).

If you missed Behind the Music: Lil Wayne check out the DCtoBC blog here. All 3 installments are available for your viewing pleasure streaming online.

So VH1 is back to what it does best, telling stories, being about the music, and I couldn't be happier.  Next week's installment of Behind the Music is about Pink, and should be just as interesting as last week's Lil Wayne installment.  It will be airing next Thursday, September 17th at 8pm.  

For more information about the line up for the triumphant return of Behind the Music check out the official press release.  I'm interested to see what the Brent Michael's story will entail.  Will he explain why the heck he decided to do Rock of Love? I'm also anticipating the Bobby Brown story to be an interesting one; especially if it touches on his divorce from Whitney.  

Oh, and following Pink's Behind the Music will be the return of Divas.  Not sure if this return can be labeled triumphant when you have Miley Cyrus as a headliner. Yes you read that correctly, Miss Hanna Montana will be sharing the stage with powerhouses like Adele, Leona Lewis and Kelly Clarkson. I'm sorry but I was with VH1 until I saw that.  However, I'll leave the remainder of my comments about this until I actually see the show on Thursday.  They've posted on their blog more information about the line up...check it out.

Even with this slight glitch in the matrix, VH1 has put a move on my heart, and I'm excited to see what's next (can we say another VH1 Storytellers installment? Please pretty please!)