Ryan Leslie is back after with his second album just nine months after his self-titled debut. Granted, Ryan Leslie was received quite well by critics, but wasn’t exactly a chart-shattering record like something Ne-Yo would have been expected to conjure up.  Just like the first album, Transition is a one-man show in terms of songwriting and production, although I would venture to say that this is only a slight improvement. Listening to the album, you get the feeling that the level of Ryan Leslie’s musicality is higher than what his two albums so far have revealed it to be; other than a few standout tracks like “Addicted” and “You’re Not My Girl” (the lead single), he’s somehow failed to make a splash in the urban scene. Is he just out of sync with what kind of music is hot right now? Or is it because so-called R&B fans are hopping on every auto-tuned song that sounds hot in the club when everyone’s tipsy?

Transition has a couple of playlist-worthy tunes, but most of it is midtempo fare that is so chill and laid-back that it risks sounding just bland. Songs like “Never Gonna Break Up” and “Is It Real Love?” would fall under this category, although oddly enough, the instrumentation on “I Choose You” is so sparse that the song itself is really allowed to shine through – until you realize about a minute into the song that the repetitiveness actually isn’t going anywhere. There are definitely Stevie-Wonder-influenced moments, with breezy synths on songs like “To the Top,” but after the first few minutes into the album, you can see why R-Les can’t find his place in the club – the only exception may be “You’re Not My Girl,” which has a thumping beat that sets it apart from the rest of the album. Other tracks that save the album from downright mediocrity include the island-flavoured “Nothing” and “All My Love,” which has an insanely catchy hook.

If this album is proof of anything, it is that Ryan Leslie has heaps of talent. Unfortunately, he just needs to harness it better and channel it into a larger variety of songs so he can branch out from the laid-back-midtempo-ballad sound. A club-banger or two along with a couple truly soulful slow jams would have definitely raised Transition from a decent/good album to a smash record.

Brian McKnight just seems to be one of the last few models of consistency left in the R&B world; whether or not the charts agree, though, is up for debate. Evolution of a Man marks the changes and maturity that Brian McKnight has gained in the seventeen years and that have seen him release over ten albums since he first came onto the scene. While his star is definitely waning (Usher’s fate in another ten years, perhaps?), he’s still found it in him to make a decent record to appease his both his fans and aficionados of that smooth unautotuned nineties-flavoured R&B.

This is no Anytime or Back At One – that time is past – but there are a couple of beautiful songs on the album. Sometimes I wish that every song had some piano on it, because the few that do are among the most outstanding. “Another You” has some jazzy undertones, showcasing Brian McKnight’s readiness to experiment (although this is much better than that country thing he tried in Ten), and “Never Say Goodbye” is likewise exquisite, with some Boyz II Men-esque harmonies.

The album does occasionally step it up to 2009 though, with tracks like “I Miss You” that have some synthwork reminiscent of something Polow da Don would come up with. “I Betcha Never” is another one that seems to be out of the usual Brian-McKnight realm, with jumpier beats and a post-2000 sexiness. He channels Stevie Wonder on “While,” with some really interesting tambourines livening the mood, and making it different from the smooth, sultry sound he is known for.

While the first single, “What I’ve Been Waiting For,” is without a doubt one of the best ballads on the album, there are times, especially in the chorus, when the voices of the Backstreet Boys (although with a lot more soul) come to mind. “Next to You” is a darker mid-tempo song with a sound that is quite different from the others, with sparse instrumentation and dramatic vocals. As a whole, Evolution of a Man, although it is in every aspect a solid (songwriting, production) R&B album, especially by today’s standards, it probably won’t be able to touch the late nineties gems that really sent Brian McKnight flying. That being said, the evolution is far from over; if he keeps this pace he can probably crank out another couple albums in the next decade.

Jay-Z performs live in Vancouver, B.C. at GM Place on October 16th 2009 with N.E.R.D. opening the show

written by Hugo Lunny

With more number one albums than Elvis, it’s no surprise that every Jay-Z show sells out. And that’s exactly the scenario witnessed by all at his GM Place appearance. With seats filled as far as the eye could see, hooks, lyrics and ad-libs sung in unison by the thousands, it was hard to believe this was just another rap show. The enormous backdrops behind Jay transformed every song into a music video as huge, bold colours, image tracing effects and video footage supported his renditions and furthered the overall experience.

Now your stature in a particular field can be defined be a variety of variables, and in music, your assistance or lack thereof (autotune, hype man or playback) can mean a lot. In contrast to when he last performed at GM Place (April 20/1999), he now is accompanied by a full band instead of a lone DJ. His hype man and sidekick since day one remains as Memphis Bleek, who adds the perfect finish to any lines which need emphasis, or Jay needs to catch his breath. However, having performed for so long, Jigga has his set perfected. His cadence is stunning and his lyrics are enunciated clearly.

Then again, he has been that way since I first saw him a decade ago.

This was clearly The Blueprint 3 tour, with the majority of the album performed live. Jay stepped out on to the stage with “Run This Town,” which as expected was met with huge roars and excitement. The same went for his follow up from BP3, “D.O.A. (Death of Autotune).” Also interlaced throughout the set were various songs from the album including “Venus vs. Mars,” “Already Home” the crowd pleaser “Empire State of Mind,” performed with guest singer Bridget Kelly replacing Alicia Keys. Bridget Kelly also covered the hooks and backing vocals on some other tracks including a well received performance of “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)” and “Song Cry.”

Surprisingly Pharrell wasn’t more present during Jay’s set (N.E.R.D. opened the show). His hooks were only personally performed when he came out for The Blueprint 3’s “So Ambitious.” Although the crowd loved seeing him return to the stage, the fact that he didn’t step out for his other hooks seemed odd. “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)” would have been even better with his personal touch.

Unlike most shows, midway through Jay chose to set up his encore, leaving and returning as if to take a half time break. He toyed with the audience with a brief touch on a bunch of his hits, including an accappella performance of his “Swagga Like Us” verse and a little of “Lucifer.”

The show’s finale seemed stretched out and could have gone more smoothly. After finishing with “Encore” he kept the audience engaged by having the lights on and naming audience members to thank personally. This session seemed to go on endlessly, and quite a few people left, bored with hearing him thank and refer to individuals by complimenting their clothing. Those that stayed during his drawn out thanks were able to have the evening wrap up with the Blueprint 3 album’s final song, “Forever Young.” An ideal conclusion, perfectly set for lighters being held and cell phones powered up as the arena’s lights were reduced to nearly nothing in order to showcase the light display.

Jay-Z’s show was perfect for any fan. Unfortunately, due to an astoundingly vast catalogue such as his, individual album favourites can easily be overlooked. But if you’re a fan of the classic Jay hits; “Big Pimpin’,” “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” “Hard Knock Life,” “Can I Get A” etc. Jay-Z puts on one of rap’s best live shows period.

The Blueprint 3 tour

He’s baaaaack.

All that hanging around Kanye must’ve given Jay-Z the resolve to take hip-hop in a different direction (and we don’t mean auto-tune), because the experimentation on this album is producing some much appreciated new sounds. He’s also brought in a staggering number of guests, from Swizz Beatz and Drake to the more obscure Luke Steele (from psychedelic pop group Empire of the Sun) and J. Cole, the first signee to Jay-Z’s own label Roc Nation.

While you can definitely hear the musical innovation that having Kanye West as the main  producer brings, Jay-Z’s lyrical stamp is still all over the album. What that means, unfortunately, is that most of it is typical, predictable, Hova fare. You’ve got the bravado, the swagger, and the (repeated) declaration of his position as hip-hop king. While Jay does switch things up on tracks like “On to the Next One” and “Young Forever,” which sample “D.A.N.C.E.” by Justice and “Forever Young” by Alphaville respectively, the rest of the album is missing that spark that makes a rap album blazing fire. Two of the best songs on the album are only memorable because of the featured artists – note to other rappers: R&B divas do your tracks good. Phoning in Rihanna and Alicia Keys was a good decision; the only minor setback is that Jay-no longer owns the spotlight on “Run This Town” and “Empire State of Mind,” although I have a feeling he doesn’t mind.

Unlike its immediate predecessor American Gangster, which focuses thematically on – what else – the life of a street king, The Blueprint 3 is (structurally and lyrically) more akin to The Blueprint²: The Gift & The Curse. It even has a second try at a duet with Beyoncé, but while “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” was a pump-up-the-jam kind of song that I wouldn’t mind cruising to, “Venus vs. Mars” is just plain awkward. Jay-Z has a seductive side now? Maybe only to Beyoncé, and I’d rather we keep it that way.

For true fans, this album would be a worthwhile purchase; there are three or four truly remarkable tracks that would make your regular playlist rotation easily, but you’d have to be a real fan to actually take the time to sift through the rest. That being said, Jay-Z can still spit rhymes with the best of them, and the fact that he’s turning the big 4-0 at the end of this year has not escaped his attention – it probably really does hit home for him because “Young Forever” is brilliant both in lyrics and delivery. How fitting that it also serves as the conclusion to Jay-Z’s latest offering; it makes the lesser songs easier to forget… and much easier to forgive.

What are the chances that Mr. Shawn Carter will finally “retire” when he’s 50?

A selection of videos from The Virgin Music Festival experience

A sample from Ben Harper’s Live Set:

A sample of Jarvis Cocker performing live:

The Rock Band Elizabeth performing:

Chris Velan Performing:

More video of Chris Velan performing live:

Live video of Plants and Animals:

Live video of Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band:

K-Os performing live:

Video of The Thermals performing live:

The Festival grounds:

Our Lady Peace performing live:

The Dancing Bushes video:

Men and women on stilts video:

In an era where “R&B” is starting to sound more like an offshoot of pop or dance, you’ll be lucky if you can find new music that reflects the classic nineties slow jam vibe. Even if you can, it’s probably sitting at the bottom of the charts while some auto-tune crap is blasting out of the speakers on the streets – R&B artist Ginuwine’s new album, A Man’s Thoughts, saw this fate. Surprisingly enough, Maxwell’s BLACKsummers’night is doing very well for an R&B album from an artist who debuted in ’96 to great success, but has completely disappeared from the scene since 2001. Eight years later, Maxwell is back with the first of three albums that will be released in the next few years.

BLACKsummers’night is a pretty short album, with only nine songs, but every one exudes sensual class, a defining quality of what R&B used to be. The leading track, “Bad Habits,” brings out the full band and makes it clear that those R&B-dance/pop crossovers that dominate the radio today have got no place on this LP. “Cold” is possibly the jazziest cut out of the nine, with trumpets, handclaps, while just oozing old-school funk. Melting into the light and sexy first single “Pretty Wings,” where Maxwell showcases his trademark falsetto in full force, the mood suddenly flips 180 on “Help Somebody,” stepping away from love and dealing with death.

The break from the sultry slow-jam vibe is short-lived though, as “Stop the World” brings some Prince, and “Love You” brings the piano on a more frantic beat, and simply radiates the desperation of true love. It might not be a good thing that Maxwell’s keeping it short, because the quality of the music on BLACKsummers’night is surprisingly high, even near the end. “Fistful of Tears” is one of my favourites, with Maxwell’s silky voice flowing over a subtle throbbing beat. The last song on the album with actual singing on it is the melodiously sad “Playing Possum,” which is exactly what Maxwell does with the listener, as he ends the album far earlier than he should, and leaves the listener wanting more. The final cut, “Phoenix Rise,” is as close to contemporary R&B as you’ll get on BLACKsummers’night, and it ends this first part of Maxwell’s trilogy with some light synths and celebrates the rebirth of the phoenix. Welcome back, Maxwell.

Rock The Bells Vancouver

Reviewed by Ryan Chaput

Last weekend saw some of North America’s best hip-hop acts come through Deer Lake park in Vancouver, B.C.

Early in the day it was revealed that there were several cancellations including Big Boi, Pete Rock, K’Naan, and the show was not going to be hosted by KRS-ONE. Many Suspect this was due to complications at the Canada/US border. Nonetheless, the festival was a definite sucess.

Chali 2na of the reknowed hip-hop group Jurassic Five set the festival off early in the day with a solid mix of both solo and J5 classics including “What’s Golden.” Slum Village came next having a hard act to follow. There was a bittersweet vibe on stage with T3 and Elzhi of Slum Village as they announced the recent passing of group-member Baatin. Combined with the loss of hip-hop legend J-Dilla in 2006, many thought Slum Village would cancel, however the group still managed to put on a stellar live performance as Elzhi pleased the crowd with several freestyles.

Slaughterhouse and Tech9ine put on mediocre performances but the crowd wasn’t as excited as previous acts. As the sun started to set one of Chicagos’ finest MC’s Common brought incredible energy to the stage, performing several of his own recent hits during his set. Common also conjured up an exciting mash-up of hip hop classics. One of the days best surprises was Cypress Hills B-Real, who came out to do classics such as, “Insane in the membrane” and “Hits from the bong”.

Although previously announced as having been cancelled, Reflection Eternal made a brief appearance before Nas and Damian Marley. However, the group only played four songs and all of them were Talib Kweli songs and not Reflection Eternal.

The headliners Nas and Damian Marley wrapped up the festival and didn’t disappoint. Nas came out first perfoming several of his classics including “New York State Of Mind” and “Got Yourself a Gun.” Following that the duo performed a few songs from their upcoming album “Distant Relatives” before Damian’s turn came to wow the crowd. Marley put on an excellent performance, showcasing fan favourites like “Welcome to Jamrock.”

Towards the end of the set B-real and Damian did a song with Cypress Hills finest rapping in Spanish. Who could forget the hit “Road to Zion” featuring Nas by Damian Marley performed live in Vancouver. Although there were several cancellations, it’s come to be expected at hip-hop shows in Canada and overall the festival was an excellent showcase of talent.

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

Here are a selection of photos from The Virgin Music Festival taken by Aaron Joseph, as always they are not for reproduction without discussed consent.

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival Photos, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC

The Virgin Music Festival, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby BC – July 25th & 26th

Typically a festival consists of several key elements. Firstly, a decent line up of talented performers with a few standouts. You also require a good amount of people to attend, and also, most important of all, you need certain aspects of the weather involved; excruciatingly hot temperatures and thunderous rain.

The Virgin Fest in BC had both on it’s first day. So much so that as the night drew on and the thousands waited for The Roots to finish off an excellent day of music, socializing (generally having a great time), the rain decided to ignore it’s subtle build up and occasional shower from earlier and just outright drenched all in attendance. The risk became so great that the show was shut down for the day.

Hours later everyone was informed that The Roots performance would be delivered to the fans who had expected them as part of the festival, though not on the following days bill, ticketholders would have the performance made up to them. Ben Harper most notably drew the biggest awe of the festival, remixing/DJ’ing with his guitar. Amazingly done.

The show also featured a spectacular assortment of people in attendance. From families with their children, to elderly couples and of course the gamut in between… There wasn’t a specific category for the crowd.

From free pole dancing lessons (it’s a great workout or so I’m told) to sex-tips and advice, through gaming booths, and comedic photo areas, the festival managed to maintain everyone’s attention throughout their time there. And of course, the music wasn’t bad either.

A subtle police presence was of course part of the show, as drunkards got out of hand whilst those experimenting with class A’s hid within the crowd.

Performers included Spinnerette, Our Lady Peace, Broken Social Scene, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, K-OS, Elizabeth, MUTEMATH, The Manvils, The British Columbians, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Gomez, Metric, The Thermals, Sonic Youth, Future of the Left, Jarvis Cocker, Awesome Color, De La Soul, Carly Rae Jepsen, Matt Nathanson and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.

This was the first Virgin Festival MVRemix has attended, and it won’t be the last. The performers were extremely energetic, enthusiastic and consistent with their music. Their live shows lived up to their recorded material and video images, and the venue itself was organized, fun and a pleasure to be at.

An onslaught of talented DJ’s achieving excellent mash ups, a unique fresh new performer and a ton of drunk people. That’s the best summary for the event.

All in all a great show minus one drawback – “The Venue”. For some reason beyond our comprehension, from entering The Venue (formerly known in Vancouver as The Plaza) with a video camera clearly visible and in our hands, filming parts of the opening sets and testing out angles for shots… once Theophilus London came on, everything had to stop. They then had noticed that I was filming (though I moved throughout the crowd) and there was absolutely no filming allowed to take place. Um?

Now, we were on the guest list as press, to write up a review and cover the show, so it’s sad that the Facebook and Youtube personal video generation have completely taken over to the point that legitimate publications can no longer record and promote artists in even a semi-professional manner without thousands of pass tags draped around out necks and wrists.

After being told to turn off the camera and being informed that our names on the guest list under a publicity company does not mean we’re entitled to photograph or film we tried our best to enjoy the show before leaving with our tails between our legs. Fun, fun, fun.

A-Trak’s shows are typically great, but why does someone always have to fuck it up when people are just trying to do what they’re supposed to?