Sage's Stray Thoughts Episode 8

What, who said I could only do one of these a week?  This one's less geek-oriented though, so be warned.

 R&B Future: ...Whenever I read that description I just picture Future trying to croon some hooks, but that's what Maryann (aka, the Baegod of Bedroom Trap) calls her music.  Shouts out to the TSS fam for putting me on to her.  I can kind of see the "R&B future" deal--she blends new age trap-esque beats with ethereal vocals to create a combination that should be too weird to work, but it does to pretty great effect anyway. 

 It reminds me of back when R&B was something you played in the middle of the night to get your grind on with a cutie (if you were lucky) or to vibe to before bed (if you were less lucky), rather than all this "urban contemporary" stuff we get now that almost bangs harder than the rap music.   Another way I could describe her is a less boring Jhene Aiko.  *kanye shrug*   She knows how to vary her sound up so her songs never blend together so I never got bored listening to her EP.   Check her stuff out on SoundClick and then pick it up on iTunes.  

Southern Rap Personified:  That's pretty much the best way I can describe Cadillactica.  From "25 lighters on my dresser" to all the genres (blues, jazz, G-Funk) he pulls from to put this album together, it's Southern rap at it's absolute best.   With fifteen tracks on the deluxe album, I was blown away by the sheer amount of range Mr. Scott displayed.  This is the first actual album of his I've listened to (though I copped the King Remembered in Time mixtape last year and played it to death), and while they say braggadocio KRIT is usually better than introspective KRIT, on Cadillactica he balances the both of them effortlessly, as "Lost Generation", "Soul Food", and "Saturdays=Celebration" easily rival "Cadillactica", "King of the South", and "Mt. Olympus (Reprise)", all of which vying for spots as my favorite song on the album.

The only real complaint I have is "Mind Control"--an excellent beat wasted by lackluster features, but I still can't stop myself from playing the whole freaking thing once it comes on, so it's a minor gripe at best.   And certainly nothing to stop it from being a lock for Rap Album of the Year for pretty much everybody.

WTF of the Week: Okay, so I refrained from watching this video until today.  Again, points to TSS for finding this because it's downright hilarious.   I'm not sure who invited Tevin Campbell's nephew to this church, or who told him on the day he was going to "denounce" his homosexuality to wear the fruitiest bowtie I've ever seen (nah seriously, dude looks like a Men on Film extra), but....ugh.

Black people, this has got to stop.   He what, prayed the gay away?   I'm Christian, and even I rolled my eyes so far backwards watching this that I saw upside down for a few minutes.  All jokes aside--this isn't healthy.   I believe Jesus can heal sickness, and that God answers prayer...but this isn't a sickness.

What's going to happen to this poor dude when he tries to go out with a woman and there's literally no physical attraction to be had.   (Or emotional, for that matter.) Maybe, maybe he's bi and can make it work, but listening to him...I doubt it.  "I like women!  Women women women!"  That's him trying to convince himself, not the congregation.  And it's difficult to imagine a life where I literally have to pretend to be something I'm not, just so my family and support circle will accept me.

Now if you're really, truly religious like that?   And you take adultery, idolatry, and all the other huge sins as seriously as you take this?  I can't necessarily say I agree with you, but I at least understand you.   And if you're truly Christian you'll approach people like this with the same love and understanding you know Jesus would have. But at some point the black community is going to have to accept that for most of ya'll that's not the case.  Ya'll aren't condemning people like this because you think his lifestyle is wrong, but because it creeps you the fuck out.  Cut that shit out.