Weekend ReFlecksions: 002(Grammy Re-Cap)

The Grammy's were held last night and we've got you covered better than a Beyonce "You Oughta Know" piece. Hopefully you were doing better things and able to find some interest in David Garrard Quarterbacking the NFC Pro Bowl team or strapping up for a high-speed affair with Cole Trickle & Nicole Kidman as CMT premiered the 1990 blockbuster "Days of Thunder." Diplo of Major Lazer kept many entertained on his twitter page with choice moments like "jeff beck needs to break his guitar over his own head" and his Major Lazer release of Halo. My favorite performer of the night was the 8 seconds Jamie Foxx's sister came out for a slashing performance... unfortunately she couldn't "blame it on the goose." At any rate there were few performances that I really liked(e.g. Zach Brown Band).

As the 2010 Grammy weekend comes to a close we are left with the BET Music Awards and our Weekend ReFlecsions .... take your pick.

Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (Ft. Theophilus London)

Hussle Club - I Have High Expectations For What I Want ...

J. Cole - Top Of The World

Jay-Z Feat. Rihanna, Bono, The Edge - Stranded

Calvin Harris - Girls(Groove Armada Edit)

Dragonette - Pick Up The Phone(Van She Remix)

Ray Mang - Look Into My Eyes

Barresto - We Wont Stop(Redial Remix)

Stephen Marley - Hey Baby(Feat. Mos Def)

Miami Horror - Make You Mine(Codebreaker Remix)

So Shifty + Ward 21 - Wine(Them Jeans Edit)

Amanda Blank - Get It Now(Digiraatii Remix)

Digital Freq - Disco Falls

MillionYoung: "Be So True"

Mike Diaz aka "Million Young" released his new EP this past week. The Ft. Lauderdale native's aching, arching and over the top vocals continue to make our stomachs shift .... but in a beautiful way.

Check out the new EP "Be So True"

MillionYoung - Feel The Same

MillionYoung - Mien

MillionYoung - Cynthia

Bonus:

Memory House - To The Light House(Millionyoung Remix)

G.O.O.D. Music

After being deemed the best thing since sliced bread by Kanye West; Benjamin Hudson McIldowie, known publicly as Mr. Hudson, has just released his 2nd U.S. single ‘Anyone but him’. This track features the previously mentioned Kanye West mirroring his role in Hudson’s debut single ‘Supernova’. Much of Hudson’s acclaim revolves around his label G.O.O.D. Music and Mercury records (founded by Kanye), but having worked with Jay-Z and Dizzee Rascal while touring with SoulReflecksion favorite: Calvin Harris, we’ll give Mr. Hudson a shot. I will note, we are far from ready to agree with Kanyes’ quote: "I believe Mr. Hudson has the potential to be bigger than me, to be one of the most important artists of his generation", though, we have had an eye on this song since July when the unmastered, “dirty”, version was floating around YouTube. Like Detroit Red, this hits’ been cleaned up. Check it out --->


Mr. Hudson (feat. Kanye West) – Anyone but Him

Mr. Hudson (feat. Kanye West) - Supernova

Spirng/Summer 2010 (Common Projects)

Common Projects Achilles (2010), The sneaks come in white, black and are capped off with gum outsoles. It looks like the Spring/Summer 2010 release should hit retailers towards the end of January.

Common Projects come from the French collaboration of Flavio Girolami and Prathan Poopat. Constructed from Italian leather the sneakers follow in the same "footsteps" of their ancestors minimalistic approach .

Flavio Girolami and Prathan Poopat Interview:

Bonus:
Uffie - MC's Can Kiss

Apple Tablet: Gadget of the Decade?

The week that gadget lovers, computer nerds, and tech savvy businessmen have all been waiting for is finally here: The week of the Apple press event and the unveiling of their "latest creation." This "creation" is believed to be the much ballyhooed Apple tablet that has reached mythical status after months and months of conversational hot topic in the rumor mill. Perhaps the most credible rumors to this point have come from financial analyst Gene Munster, who posited that the tablet will be around $600, be available in early 2010, and bring Apple $1.2 billion in revenue. However, due to locked-lips and contractual confidentiality, Steve Jobs and crew have kept us all in anticipatory angst about the actual design, features, and realization of what could be the most innovative product in recent history. If you received an official invitation to this invite-only Apple release party then lucky you, if not then stay tuned because we'll keep you updated on what could be the next product that Americans cannot live without.

[the photos are speculations and not the actual Apple tablet]

COMPANY OF WE ("Recession Friendly Fashion")

manshion.net
"you're lucky I gave you this link ... gold mine."

With very little press the "Company of We" is about to blast off into the fashionsphere. This past summer Jayzel Samonte and Christopher Crawford released their first collection under the "Company of We" label. The collection was inspired by and designed for men who "aren't about to drop $700 for a pair of shorts" states Crawford. The goal is to offer products of "high fashion" at economical prices.

Since the first collection went online they have sold out of 90 percent of their stock. Spring/Summer 2010 Collection Coming Soon! (Fall/Winter Look Book)

Company Of We: The Interview

Alinea: Fine Dining at its Finest

One perk to having an award winning chef in the Soul Reflecksions family is in-group treatment at the finest restaurants in the nation. Near the top of the list resides Alinea, a special occasions restaurant located in Chicago that specializes in progressive American (or Avant-Garde) cuisine. Dining here is an extravagant event, a commitment to the culinary arts, and an experience that will not soon be forgotten (some diners have been literally brought to tears). We celebrate innovative artistic expression, and this fits the mission, as it has been labeled "the most cutting edge food in America." Chef Grant Achatz (interview) and team's ingenious creations constantly push the bar. The format is molecular multi-course meals including the tasting (13 course) and the tour (29 course). This plethora of courses may seem daunting, but we can tell you from experience that you'll leave nothing leftover.

London’s Calling, London’s Burning

Like ‘The Clash’ in the late 70’s, who played a key role in the British invasion, Theophilus London is storming the beaches of the Electro-fueled Hip Hop movement. He revives the unique sound of early 90’s electro with the vocals to match. We’ve watched London’s momentum build, and as he drops his new single ‘Humdrum Town’ we’ll let you decide if he’s ready to take off.

Theophilus London - Humdrum Town

Theophilus London - Pull My Heart Away (Jamie xx remix)

Bad Girls Superfight: Tale of the Tape

Ding Ding Ding...

The boxing world is no stranger to gamesmanship, as battles are fought not only within the ring, but also without. The most recent instance ended (at least delayed) the fight everyone's begging for. This fight has been coined the next "Superfight" and hopes to resurrect boxing from less than stellar decades post-Ali, Foreman, Haggler, Leonard, Robinson, and the likes. For now this fight, "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, is called off because of gamesmanship in the form of an unwillingness to come to certain terms (story). Since we can't have the fight we all desire, we at Soul Reflecksions decided to tap into some inside connections to set up the next best thing, a fight between two of the most revered bad girls of this generation: "Tipsy" Ripsi (video 2, below) vs. "Big Blow" Flo (video 1, below). The following is the tale of the tape should this fight come to fruition:

"Resurrection" (Download To Donate)

Leave it to the two misfits of Hip-Hop to put together yet another song for charity. The crisis in Haiti has captured the hearts of many throughout the world and with the help of Mike Shinoda(Linkin Park) the artist(s) joined forces to produce "Resurrection" a track that contains an encouraging message for the future of Haiti. All proceeds will go to Haitian Relief.

You can download the track/album HERE! But donate a little something if you can.

Lupe Fiasco Feat. Kenna - Resurrection

Bonus:

Follow Lupe's We Are Not Losers Campaign

Time to Think About Your Drink

Put down 50's Vitamin Water, toss out Lil Jon's Crunk Juice, and stop buying that dirty tasting Propel stuff. In addition, cut energy drinks from your diet (unless it's approaching midnight and the dance floor is calling your name). Anyway, there's a new kid on the block...

Lynne Gerhards, CNC and Lori Mulligan, CNC hit the scene in 2003 when they founded Pure Inventions with the conflation of their expertise in nutrition and knowledge of the science of liquid supplements. This liquid-nutrition fusion bolstered them as a pioneer in the beauty market and trendsetter in the healthy lifestyle industry.

Eat Local [Listen Local]

We know that eating local has a colossal impact on the health of our planet and the fiscal health of our local economies. By focusing on local and organic produce, we can curb global warming and air pollution, avoid toxic pesticides, support local farmers, and enjoy fresh food in the process. Here at SoulReflecksions we choose to deviate from the norm and Listen Local. The [above] video is one made by our friends ‘Silver Medallion’ a local duo hailing from Scottsdale, AZ. Mixed alongside Empire of the Sun’s ‘Walking on a dream’ this video showcases what’s to come from these Arizona natives. You can catch this vibrant duo bring down the house anywhere from Las Vegas to New York in the coming weeks. They will also be dropping a mixtape in the very near future featuring favorites M83, Miami Horror, Cut Copy, DFA, Steve Aoki and Kid Cudi, to name just a few. When we have it, you’ll have it. Stay tuned.

We've got your Flashlight

Some may still be in the dark with their eyes shut tight to the rising of British ElectroPop artist Dan Black. We’re here to shine some light on the situation. However, we’ll let your favorite Solo Dolo flip the switch. Enjoy this Kid Cudi remix of Dan Black’s single ‘Symphonies’ off his debut album ‘UN’. Look out for these fellas in 2010, we expect big things to come.

Dan Black ft Kid Cudi - Symphonies (remix)

Big Foot, The Loch Ness Monster & Coachella 2010

For months Music Junkies, Festival goers and residents of Indio, CA [and all over] have been speculating, contemplating and reiterating who they believe will be playing at this year’s Coachella Music Festival. Many artists have been talked about, some have been leaked, and few dismissed, all leading up to this moment. Like Pepsi and Poprocks, SoulReflecksions is here to put the rumors to rest. Tie your shoes tight, potential sock knocking in sight.

Soul ReFlecksions x Swedish Fish = Haiti Relief

Most of you by now are aware of the major earthquake that struck southern Haiti on Tuesday. The Catastrophic event left the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation "poorer." The magnitude 7.0 quake has left damage and bodies throughout the streets of Port-Au-Price and there is no estimate of the fatalities.

Immediately following any international disaster relief teams, programs and funding agencies come together to help the ailing countries. There are multiple non-profit organizations contributing to the victims of Haiti (e.g. Text: Haiti to 90999 and donate $10 via your cell phone bill.)

BUT if you're looking to give a little more, join Soul Reflecksions and their favorite chewy friends from Scandinavia. For every TWEET between 1.17.10 and 1.24.10 SOUL REFLECKSIONS will donate 1 bag of those delicious chewable chums you've grown to love to the victims of Haiti. Obviously there are more important things needed, but if these candies can bring half the joy to the kids of Haiti as they do us ... it will be their "guilty pleasure" as they attempt to bring the country back together.

HOW TO HELP: Follow the movement and click on Tweety's picture. For every tweet, Soul Reflecksions will donate 1 bag of Swedish Fish to the victims of Haiti. 2 Tweet's = Assorted BAG (alt link)

BONUS: Arcade Fire - Haiti

It's Your Turn to Take a Seat Usher, 'Cuz this is Our Confession...

It seems that the "cool" thing to do nowadays is to confess to wrongdoings (for related story click here). This past decade has provided us with more confessions than a Celebrity Rehab marathon on MTV. Self-disclosure is the new Ed Hardy. After confessions from the likes of David Letterman, Ex-Senator Edwards, Eliot Spitzer, Tiger Woods, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Mark McGwire (kind of), and other public figures, the media and citizens of the uber-forgiving and comeback story loving country that we live in open their arms and reestablish any love lost. With this in mind, we at Soul Reflecksions have a confession to make. We use a performance enhancing drug (PED). Our PED goes by the street name of Roy G Biv, and refers to a cocktailish concoction consisting of red bull, vodka, and a splash of orange juice. After shutting down some of the nation's ultra-chic nightclubs (e.g., XS, Tao, Mosaic [KC], Underground, and last but not least American Legion 757), people began to question the innateness of our exuberant personalities and knee-buckling dance moves. So, now that we've fully disclosed this guilt-packed confession, and our souls are purged, it's time to celebrate... ROY G BIV anybody?

Ingredients:
R: Red Bull
O: Orange Juice
Y: Yellow in Color when Mixed Properly
G: Good Tasting/ Drink from a Glass
B: Black Cherry
I: Ice
V: Vodka (leave the house vodka alone... tell 'em Diddy)

Bonus:

ROY G AND THE BIV: Jungle Fever

The New Colour In Sound -

This past week Scandanavian based company Zound Industries released their new line of Urbanears Headphones. Over the past 18 months the Scandinavian team worked diligently to come up with the design and concept. These headphones bring Fashion, Technology and Art together while promoting a deeper connection with color.

With a collection that allows headphones to fit into your everyday life, Urbanears at launch released 3 models that "optimize ingenuity, catalyze creativity and provide a medium for artistic expression ..." (Purchase)

Plattan: Full size headphone that offer a rich, secluded sound.

Tanto: The "traveling mans" headphone. Designed for mobility without compromising performance, Tanto is made for everyday use.

Medis: The minimal design offers a comforting music experience with the functionality of its larger siblings.

Bonus Track:

Empire OF The Sun: Without You (New Version)

Miss Arulpragasam

Fresh off her baby hiatus M.I.A. has made her way out of retirement and "Back Into Action." Yesterday she released the video "THERES SPACE FOR OL DAT I SEE" which will be featured on her upcoming album "Miss Arulpragasam" ... set to be released this summer.

M.I.A. - Theres Space For Ol Dat I See

Thom Yorke / xxxchange

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke teams upwith Brooklyn native Alex Upton (xxxchange) and gives us a remix to the 2006 hit "Eraser." Originally remixed by Stretch & Vern, xxxchange takes us to a euphoric place with this remix.

In 2007 CRS The group consisting of Lupe, Kanye and Pharrell sampled the original track which ended on Billboards "Best Songs of '07" chart.

Thom Yorke - The Eraser(xxxchange Remix)

CRS - US Placers

Surgeon General Warning: Steroids May Cause Strength

Mark McGwire, infamous member of the bash brothers, claims he did NOT use steroids to increase strength (story)... Riiiight. Everyday we hear (well, try to hear) the disclaimers that close out drug commercials. These announced side effects typically include migraines, hemorrhages, blood clots, four-hour erections, and other highly undesirable manifestations (the last one mentioned may be exempt from the "undesirable" category), which is why an auctioneer spits out the 15 side effects before you can say restless leg syndrome. Imagine if functional strength gain that assists in adding 0s to your paycheck was a "side effect," pharmaceutical companies would fly in James Earl Jones to read off that disclaimer. My point is, strength gain is NOT a side effect, it is a main effect, precisely why Big Mac kept a syringe handy at every batting practice. McGwire claiming that he didn't use steroids to gain strength is like Smokey saying he didn't use Marijuana to get high, or Amy Winehouse saying she didn't use crack to get high, or Hugh Hefner saying he didn't use Viagra to get...well you understand. Do I care that he used 'roids? No. Do I think 'roids are enough to make someone a great baseball player? No. But do I think McGwire used 'roids to increase strength? (That was a rhetorical question.) I'm just saying, be a man and own up to it so that you don't lose that which makes you a man. I'm not talking about material credentials, no homerun crown and no amount of muscle mass could ever compensate for lacking integrity. The aforementioned statement echoes a fitting quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, "A little integrity is better than any career".

On a side note, it now appears that Slammin' Sammy and Big Mac were playing with each others' needles.

What Is A Morgan Page?

This past August our monthly Fish n' Stix Mix Tape series included the award winning dance smash "Longest Road." At that time many of our colleagues had never heard of and/or knew who Morgan Page was (e.g. Marcus: "Who's The Lady Singin' About A Trailer Park And Headed Down A Long Road To Nowhere?") Over the past six months the savvy Page has begun to emerge from the underground radar and gained the respect of his peers with multiple GRAMMY and IDMA nominations.

Morgan Page closed out a successful 2009 campaign with the release of his new dance hit "Fight For You" (See Below)

Morgan Page - Fight For You (Bass Kleph Remix)

Morgan Page - Fight For You (Sultan & Ned Shepard Remix)

Morgan Page - Call My Name (Thomas Gold Remix)

Morgan Page - Longest Road(Deadmau5 Remix)

Storytellers: Released (1.5.10)

70+ Minutes of Live Performance Footage on DVD and the Audio CD. In addition to the 10 songs originally release via VH1 the Storytellers DVD adds "Street Lights", "Paranoid" and "Homecoming."

The Audio CD Includes Kanye's Performance (As Seen On TV) Purchase

Kanye West - Robocop Storytellers Version (Right Click To DL)

This The Last One ... Its Almost Curfew

What a Fiasco? Lupe's mixtape was set to release this past week, but was later cancelled. Instead we ended up with "I'm Beaming" another gem that follows Shining Down, Solar Midnite and his unconventional approach to Hip-Hop music.

The track is no "Superstar" but it is a "Super Start" to his upcoming album Lasers set to release in March. Unfortunately Lupe has stood by his stern belief that this will be his final album

Follow The Manifesto:

http://www.wearenotlosers.com/

Lupe Fiasco - I'm Beaming

Lupe Fiasco - Solar Midnite