50 Cent, Animal Ambition
50 Cent taps into his Southside Jamaica, Queens roots for his latest project, Animal Ambition, but he also reminds us how far he’s come: the VitaminWater, the Power series on Starz that he exec-produces, etc. It’s the typical stuff we can expect from 50—braggadocio lyrics about being a hustler, sex, being rich, and getting money, money and more money.
Check it out here.
Kelly Rowland, “The Game”
Newlywed Kelly Rowland is getting back into the music game (no pun intended) with this upbeat motivational tune. “The game, the game, make it pay make it count,” she sings, as the moral of the story is, “the game won’t play itself without you.” This one is all about focusing on your goals and making your dreams come true. Rowland’s latest single will appear on the forthcoming Pepsi visual album Beats of the Beautiful Game, scheduled for a June 10 release. Look out for a complementary video for the single to be directed by Spike Lee.
Nitty Scott, The Art of Chill
Hip-hop’s self-proclaimed flower child has a free-spirited vibe with a hard-hitting flow. This Brooklyn rose is easy on the eyes but the grit (a.k.a. the metaphorical thorns in her aura and rhyme schemes) becomes evident after listening to her emcee a few bars. The 23-year-old MC recorded this project over the span of three years, and embraces a Zen-like state of mind as she makes observations about life, family, youth culture and everything else in-between. There are even lovely nods to writers like Maya Angelou (see “Still I Rise”) that give listeners a better glimpse of the visionaries who’ve inspired Nitty’s creativity throughout some of her hardships (sexual abuse, abandonment issues). Rapper Big Pooh, Stacy Barthe and Ab-Soul are just a few of the talented ones along for the ride.
Available here.
Bridget Kelly, “I Won’t Cry/Almost More”
The Roc Nation diva is currently working on her forthcoming album, All or Nothing, slated for release later this year. But in the meantime, she’s giving fans a glimpse into what’s to come. Here, Kelly sings over a classic R&B-style track about being strong throughout relationship woes. Kelly utilizes her mid-range alto register to declare that “she won’t cry.”
