Put on them headphones rabbittos! It’s time for your first Cottontail Music Tuesday post, so let’s start it off with a BANG, shall we?

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We’re not travelling too far to start; this girl is straight from our very own Queens, NY.  Getting her fame from Lil Wayne’s failed concoction of hip-hoppers, Young Money, Nicki Minaj is that bitch that can tell me what to do whenever she pleases.  The music game emptied their dumpster that was Lil Kim, Trina, etc.’s trash to dump on us the sassy stylings of Miss Minaj.  Her most recent collabo is with the burnt out diva we all love to watch, yes, the “MiMi” herself, Mariah Carey in her song “Up Out My Face.”  (Pause) I’m addressing this MiMi ‘emancipation’ once and for all, homegirl cannot think that her birth certificate was altered from 1970 to 1990 just because she created this busty, botoxed princess known as “Mimi.”  Alright now back to my boo, I am going to hold back from “Up Out My Face”-ing Miz Minaj for remixing this song with MiMi, just because she’s not your traditional female rapstar (a la the aforementioned Trina, Lil Kim, etc. sex-porno-symbol rapper).  Minaj works the quirk in her performance, hilariously contorting her face underneath her Lolita-Katy-Perry weave-y luscious black bangs… I mean what? It’s not like I could talk about her hair with 95% of the thesaurus.  She has previously been featured on the Young Money debut CD (I’ll try and refrain from not saying the word “flop” in this sentence… oh too late) We Are Young Money.  She has also been featured in the song “Knockout” on Lil Wayne’s most recent album (ahem, flop… sorry Weezy, try better next time?) Rebirth, but her and Weezy have recently KILLED IT on his recent mixtape No Ceilings where they collabo to mix Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams.”  Out of the horse’s mouth herself, I give Miz Minaj “the thumbs up like I’m hailin a yellow cab.”  Check out the video for “Up Out My Face” and check out the hilarity that ensues as Minaj is definitely playing up her mockery of the same “stand-there-and-move-my-arms-awkwardly” B.S. that Mariah always gives in her performances. LOVE.  Now check out my boo workin’ it in the video for “Up Out My Face” and click here to view full video:

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POP! POP! POP!

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Oh hayy Ken & Barbie (read AND seen left-to-right)

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So many rude boys, for so many Rihanna’s!

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HELLO JAMAICA!!

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We caught RiRi ridin’ dirrty…

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Album Review: Daniel Merriweather “Love & War”

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Holy Mark Ronson, Batman!  The producer is back!  Daniel Merriweather’s debut stateside CD is crazy soulful and noteworthy… hence it’s appearance on ya’llz favorite site!  Merriweather swiftly croons his way through your ears, down your throat and finds a nice cozy home in that heart of yours as he sings of unrequited love and heartbreak.  But fear not, lil bunnies, this is not one of those sappy, emo, and soon to be top-shelf at your local Hot Topic CDs, oh no, no, no!  Merriweather is sophisticated, mature, and incredibly touching as he backs his golden pipes with Ronson’s all-too familiar (and brilliant) brass instruments on most tracks and a tender piano backing (“For Your Money“) on others.  Now while you’re blasting “For Your Money” (the opening song) and continuing your reading, you know you’re dying that the Australian-native singer is dedicating his first song to our lovely lady, New York!  Wait, clarification, I mean the city and not this piece of… well…

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WHO?! ME?!

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Anyway… what is even better than Merriweather’s overall performance is his chosen collaborations on Love & War: Adele & Wale.  Now, I know Wale seems like a one-hit-wonder/check-ya-later rapper,  BUT I still held out for him, and his song with Merriweather “Change,” is proving me to be a smart rabbito!  From the beat, to the piano, to Merriweather’s swiftness through his lyrics, Wale just puts the cherry on top of this culturally-charged sundae!  Overall, Merriweather and Ronson killed it with this debut, and hopefully he is well-received by the bubblegum-pop drowning listeners of America.  Listen to: For Your Money, Change, & Chainsaw.

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-xoxo-

Ryan Cottontail