SEXYBLACK FIRST LISTEN: R.L., Sade (X2), Joe, Vivian Green, K. Michelle, Ruben Studdard

Let me know what you think in the comment section:

Crazy -- R.L.

The Moon and The Sky -- Sade

Skin -- Sade

Sickest Cover This Year: Hype-or-Drive?

Drake covers writing, friendship, R&B and Hip Hop in the latest issue of Complex. Among some of the more interesting things he had to say however, is the fact that it is much easier for him to pen R&B than it is to come up with his signature Hip Hop element.

“The way Jay and Wayne write rap, I write R&B. I don’t write lyrics down on paper,” Drake tells Complex. “The other day, I was in the studio with Alicia Keys, and I wrote two songs just speaking to her. I wish I could write that way for rap. With my rap songs, there’s so much of me I have to give that I don’t know if I could ever just flow. The thing is, I’m a great rapper. There’s two elements to rap: having the thoughts, and then being a great rapper. I can really rap the sh** that I write. My tone, my inflection. When I listen to myself on records, I don’t feel like I don’t belong there. When I listen to “Forever,” with three of my heroes, I fit right in.”

For more on Drake’s Complex interview visit Complex.com.

-sniped from Singersroom.com.

P.S.:  If anyone sees this mag anywhere, cop it for me.  Tonks.

Mariah's Shot at Angelic Redemption

Not six months after the release of her worst album ever, Mariah is set to return with something designed to make us forget about it. Normally, you wouldn't see much on this blog about Mariah as with every album, she gets more and more gimmicky and has, at this point, completely lost touch with her roots and what got her to where she is.

With one of two new singles, "Angels Cry", Mariah Carey revisits some of the heart-felt skill and use of melody that she used to be known for... but let it be known, that she needed help. "Angels Cry" features on vocals, it's writer, Ne-Yo. This crafty penmanship has become what Ne-Yo is known for, and he's used it many times to save a number of artists careers, and now it's Mariah's turn... I actually love this song. It's a few notches down from perfect, and it's reminiscent of a time when we all loved Mariah.

Mariah Carey - Angels Cry

Okay so the video is not that great (Nick Cannon, you are getting better, keep trying), but that's not what the post was highlighting.

This song is featured on Mariah's Remix album called Angels Advocate, due on March 30, 2010.

Some recent Mariah facts:

Negative -- Memoirs of An Imperfect Angel, her recent release, is officially her worst selling album to date, and many are saying that the speedy outing of two videos, one featuring Ne-Yo, the other featuring Nikki Minaj are desperate attempts by her camp to keep her relevant.

Positive (yet questionable) -- Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" was recently named the last decade's most popular song, according to HitsDailyDouble.com. The song, whose popularity was calculated by record sales, airplay and online streaming, was the second single of Carey's comeback album, The Emancipation of Mimi.

We Are The World, Part 2

If they were ever gonna do it, the events of the past 7 months (Michael's passing, the Haiti disaster, and the fact that it happens to be the 25th anniversary of the original release), suggest that this would be the best time.  But do you think they can top perfection?

From The Guardian:
Like the original 1985 recording, which raised money for famine relief in Africa, the new We Are the World will consist of both a song and a video. Organisers are asking artists to stay in Los Angeles for an extra night after the Grammy awards. According to Billboard, Richie and Jones hope to include Usher, Natalie Cole and John Legend, as well as many Grammy nominees.
The late Michael Jackson, one of the song’s co-authors, is also expected to be integrated into the project.

Check out the original below:

USA For Africa - We Are The World

USA for Africa (United Support of Artists for Africa), was the name under which forty-five predominantly U.S. artists, led by Harry Belafonte, Kenny Rogers, Michael Jackson, and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single "We Are the World" in 1985. The song was a US and UK Number One for the collective in April of that year.

The considerable profits from the enterprise went to the USA for Africa Foundation, which used them for the relief of famine and disease in Africa; critics, however, claim that this money went directly to the (often military) governments of the affected countries rather than the people.

SEXYBLACK PREMIERE: ELEVATIONS IN STYLE!!!

You first heard about Elevations in a Sneak Peak I presented last week... well...

YOU HAVE OFFICIALLY ARRIVED:

I present to you... the beginning of a highly successful venture by Chris Morgan and Natasha Sen:

The Official Elevations In Style Website

Enjoy

In Case You Missed It...

...The best of the Hope For Haiti Concert

Please give if you can.

Justin Timberlake -- Hallelujah

Jay-Z, Bono, The Edge, & Rihanna -- Stranded (Amazing Original Song)

Throwback Video of the Week: 5 Steps -- Dru Hill

They don't make them like this anymore...

5 Steps

SEXYBLACK DECLARATION:  With this video and after some recent unfortunate Sisqo internet rumblings, I am officially, giving up on the hope of the second most needed comeback (Jodeci) in Urban Music.  Dru Hill, you were loved.  I will always have the memories.  Thank you.

Dru Hill:  1992 - 2010

I Think He Might Have His Money Right, Now.

I tried to put people on to this almost two years ago... let's try this one more time now that you know who Zach Galifianakis is... Enjoy...

Kanye West "Can't Tell Me Nothin" feat. Zach Galifianakis

SEXYBLACK NEW ARTIST FEATURE: DeMattos -- Independent Girl

Now, usually I don't do this. This is a strictly R&B/Hip Hop blog. But a couple guys in my crew are on the Soca/Reggae tip, and they have a new artist named DeMattos. One listen to this nice Lover's Rock joint, and I knew I had to post it. I am impressed, Gentlemen, you have my attention. Check it out, below.

Big up to my boys, Alex and Mike at JamHai. Request this song anywhere possible, and support local T-dot talent (when it's good like this -- otherwise the crap gets through and if you're from T-dot, that's all you got to represent you. You don't want that, do you? -- Thank God for Drake).

For more information on this artist and JamHai, check out:

Demattos Myspace

JamHai Music Productions (if you want dat fyah)

Also, to inquire about JamHai's artists or services, you can spin them an email here.

SEXYBLACK DECREE: New Edition Week

I am officially designating this New Edition week... Enjoy...

New Edition - If It Isn't Love

Some people didn't know that this video (my favorite of all time) was the continuation of If It Isn't Love...

New Edition - You're Not My Kind Of Girl

This video still gives me chills... 20 years later.  New Edition was never tighter!  I still remember the moves, this was my favorite 24/7 non-singing performance, I was Ralph, my brother, Chris was Johnny.  Good times.

My favorite Canadian Actress tops Askmen.com's 2010 List of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women

Emannuelle Chriqui
Why She's No.1

"Hearing what that vote is made of is the biggest compliment of all because it’s not just about being “hot” but about being a well-rounded woman. That’s really empowering -- people recognize that I care about other things."
- Emmanuelle Chriqui

In case you're curious about the other 98?...

2010 Top 99 Most Desirable Women

Doritos SuperBowl Commercial Entries -- Nice

Three new Doritos commercials that you can vote for to air during the Super Bowl... You know you can't have just one... Go to the site link at the top of each player to vote for your favorite.

P.S.  If you know I don't post wack 'ish, you must then know that you should watch these.

And my Personal Favorite...

SEXYBLACK EXCLUSIVE FIRST LISTEN: Corinne Bailey Rae's The Sea

Remember where you heard it first...Press the play button (it might not work the first time)

Album in stores, January 26, 2010.  Enjoy.

Thoughts?

INSTANT CLASSIC: Aziz Ansari talks about R. Kelly on Kimmel

You must watch this... all the way to the end.

Aziz Ansari Discusses R. Kelly on Kimmel from Aziz Ansari

That may be the best talk show segment... ever.

Alicia Keys performs the Drake-penned Unthinkable (I'm Ready)!

Drake makes his official debut as an R&B writer & producer with his placement on Alicia Keys' Element of Freedom. She starts out a little shaky on this performance, but brings it home in the end and looks AMAZING doing so.

SEXYBLACK EXCLUSIVE: The A-Team...

What do you think, is this plan gonna come together?...

SEXYBLACK SCHOOL: Uptown Records -- Jodeci, Mary J. Blige & Puff

"It's a Lifestyle Thing" (feature on Uptown Records)

There you have it, Diddy's REAL influence on Urban Music started way before Biggie...

SEXYBLACK CONTEST!!!: GRAMMY PICKS!!!

So my first attempt to post the Grammy polls successfully failed.  So to make up for that, I have decided to turn the Grammy Poll Post into SEXYBLACK'S SUGAR BEATS first contest!

All you have to do is answer the poll questions that have been posted at the bottom of this page.  While doing that, send me an email here and tell me your name, what your picks are, and if you would like to be on SEXYBLACK SUGAR BEATS blog feed list (so you don't miss a single SEXY post) and what email address you would prefer to receive your updates.

The one of you that gets them ALL right (if there's more than one) will be entered in a draw to receive a SEXYBLACK SUPERPRIZE.  ALL answers must be correct and the winner will be announced after February 1, 2010.  You can vote as many times as you'd like, but you can only enter the contest once.

Tell your friends, get on this.  If all goes well, there will be many more contests to come.

SEXYBLACK

SEXYBLACK EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK: Elevations -- Coming Soon!!!...

Christopher Morgan, Personal Style Consultant, is bringing his impeccable taste and style to the masses with his new endeavor, Elevations.  There is a website coming soon, but the good people at Elevations have provided SEXYBLACK'S SUGAR BEATS with this Exclusive Sneak Preview of what you can expect when it's time for you or someone you know to Elevate their game.  Check it out!

In the meantime, if you have any questions, or would like to inquire about Elevations services, please email them here.

Gilbert Arenas -- Misunderstood? (Interesting read)...

It's too late for Arenas to get serious

Bruce Arthur, National Post Published: Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Related Topics

It wasn't the real guns that got Gilbert Arenas suspended indefinitely on Wednesday. Well, it was, and it wasn't. Bringing four unloaded guns into the Washington Wizards locker room, putting three of them on a teammate's chair as a joke - that's as far as we know, anyway - that was dumb. Like, five-years-in-prison dumb, if everything goes wrong in court.

But the reason the NBA came down on Arenas like a vengeful god - an indefinite suspension, without pay, and threats of something more punitive than that - was that Arenas just wouldn't take his problems seriously. His Twitter account went from silence to sideshow. The joker joked away, saying of the NBA commissioner, "[David] Stern is mean." He apologized in a sombre statement, then two days later said "If I really did something wrong, I would feel remorse in what I did, but I didn't do anything."

THROWBACK PERFORMANCE OF THE MONTH (with meaning): Boyz II Men -- Please Don't Go

Sometimes when it gets to much, you just have to go back to the beginning, and ask yourself "When it gets close to the end, who's hand do I want to be holding?"

Boyz II Men - Please don't go

"The Beatles got it right..., love's not that complicated, sometimes it's just about... 'I wanna hold your hand.'"

What I'm trying to say, is that sometimes, it gets hard, it gets crazy, it gets complicated... but if we clear all that away, we can choose to press the RESET button and choose to take that same leap of faith that got us as far as we got in the first place (when we knew nothing or very little about each other and nothing was guaranteed -- we just didn't want to be apart from that special person).  Forgiveness is a miracle we can all perform, a gift we can all give.  Because when it's all said and done, we're better together, aren't we?... Aren't we?

BET.com's 10 BEST Songs of the Decade

• 
  
  Beyonce -- Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) -- Now, no doubt this was a HUGE song, but a song of the decade... maybe, JUST maybe.  It was one of the most different songs of the last 12 months, that is for sure, and it did take a lot of chances, but there were a lot of tracks like that over the last 10 years.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Kanye West -- Jesus Walks -- I agree with this one.  In no other contemporary Hip Hop track was spirituality so prominently discussed -- the good and the bad of it.  This song made us think about the world we live in and was even bold enough to have some poignant commentary on the music industry that (eventually) brought it to us.  This was an important track.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Rihanna -- Umbrella (feat. Jay-Z) -- One of the catchiest, if not THE catchiest song of the decade.  Sometimes it's all about the hooks and the presentation and this song took radio, tv, and the internet by storm.  It is unapologetic, the beat is strong, and it is unforgettable.  It is the song that made Rihanna an international superstar.
  
  
  

SEXYBLACK FOLLOWER'S FAVORITE SINGLE OF THE YEAR IS...

According to SEXYBLACK'S SUGAR BEATS followers, the hottest urban single of the year, is, deservedly, Maxwell's triumphant, Pretty Wings.  Artists who choose to take eight years off need to make a significant impact to reclaim their place, and Maxwell's single, followed by the good, but less popular, Bad Habits, have returned him to prominence among the R&B elite.  Although the album wasn't as solid, I can't wait for his next offering expected later this year.  Thanks for your votes, everyone.  And keep checking for a few new polls coming soon.