Shaun Shiller Fequiere, known by his stage name Kangol Kid, was an American hip hop producer, songwriter, break dancer, and emcee. Kangol is best known as a member of the old school hip hop group UTFO. Kangol Kid was the first hip-hop artist to endorse a product through his official sponsorship with Kangol headwear.
SHORT CIRCUIT aka KOTTSA Chimes In With Some Hip-Hop Perspective.
Welcome back for another edition of ‘The R.A.W Report’ (the final one of 2021!) bringing you the Top 5 biggest news stories, releases and events, from the worlds of Hip-Hop/Rap and Pro Wrestling!!!
So here is this week’s Top 5 –
• Brand new Earl Sweatshirt x Armand Hammer ‘Tabula Rasa’ – https://www.facebook.com/897707140337881/posts/4336536526454908/
• Results + Recap from Ring Of Honor’s ‘Final Battle 2021’ – https://www.facebook.com/897707140337881/posts/4339846052790622/
• Brand new Canibus ‘Kaiju’ – https://www.facebook.com/897707140337881/posts/4341769182598309/
• Results + Recap from ‘AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming 2021’ – https://www.facebook.com/897707140337881/posts/4354014758040418/
• Brand new The Alchemist x Boldy James ‘Super Tecmo Bo’ – https://www.facebook.com/897707140337881/posts/4366250576816836/
Join us, #OnTheLine, on January 15th for a special Top 10 edition of the R.A.W Report on Bout Dat Online.
Until then, from the R.A.W Media/Bout Dat Family have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!!!
See you in 2022!!!
Rapper Drakeo the Ruler was killed in Los Angeles late Saturday night after he was stabbed with a knife during an altercation near the Banc of California Stadium in Exposition Park, during the Once Upon a Time in L.A. concert where Drakeo and dozens of performers, including Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent, were scheduled to appear.
Brandy’s B7 album is the most discussed album for the year 2020. This album is her comeback album after being absent from the music industry for 8 years. She gets more in touch with her personal side deeply in this album with songs such as Borderline, Bye BiPolar, and Saving All My Love. She put everything she could into this album as she wrote from her heart of hearts because she used use music as a way to escape and heal her pain. Music from this album can be described as very therapeutic, trance-esque, and relaxing. This is one of those spiritual and uplifting albums. This is definitely one of her deeper albums which showcases a more mature side of her. B7 is album of the year for 2020. It’s so damn good!
Now the B7 album copies the formula as the 1994 Brandy album did by using three interludes which are separated in 3 different parts. This is not the first time she has done so. Brandy did this on her Human album in 2008. Brandy seems to have gone back to her original roots where she started.
Saving All My Love the opener for B7 which deals with the heartbreak Brandy experienced in her life. Her being brokenhearted while experiencing heartache only made her into a strong person. The song explains the issues she’s been through.
Brandy starts off the chorus apologizing to her devoted fanbase for her long-awaited return to music. That is what the lyrics “Sorry for my tardy/Long time I was brokenhearted” mean. That particular line sets the tone for the album in terms of feeling. The line also is a clever reference to Brandy’s 1994 song Brokenhearted with Wanya Morris.
Brandy sounds like candy. Fine like wine. She is solid as rock candy. Kinda like the goat but she ain’t saving all her love. She lays down her complex yet complicated burdens. We all know she’s got an attitude problem. Let’s resolve it. She has come to terms with mental health issues she had struggled with before and can live her life more freely. She can move about freely. It’s different now.
Lucid Dreams chasing sleep because in the dream state. In the dream Brandy is still with the person she loved but in reality the relationship was over.
One more strike and she’s out. Brandy had to figure it out before she loses herself to the person she loved in the dream. She feels illusion. Maybe it’s a daze. This daze worsens over time. She was always high. So she had to readjust. Brandy got the feeling she didn’t belong there. All alone here.
It ain’t no secret the she has been here before. The guilt is eating her up inside. That is what lyrics to this line mean: “Guilt dealt me tragedy inside-ate me alive/I wanted to die/’Til I realized my real life already left to deal with your broken soul/You need you and I need me, too” She wanted to die because the guilt was eating her up inside. He needed her and she needed him.
Brandy is chasing sleep. That’s where she can see far. Her dream is a lucid dream. After abusing all that Ambien. They used to write their name in car fog.
Brandy professes to be “the most jealous girl” who embodies a schizophrenic persona while in a romantic relationship on hit song and hit single “Borderline”. She’s been hurt bad in the past as she has been hurt and mistreated people. The lyrics illustrate how emotional loneliness can take over a romantic relationship which is the darker aspect of this song. There are different personalities for singing different parts of the song.
She puts way many harmonies in the song while she is singing. That is how you can tell she was being real and honest. The song uses a hypnotizing trance-like vibe over loud synthesizers and chords. Those chords and synths make this song hypnotic.
Borderline is one of Brandy’s deepest songs in her entire career and is song of the year from the album of the year. The song became a viral hit in summer 2020 while receiving millions of downloads and streams a week. This is her number #1 song of 2020.
What would you do if you’re alone? Would you think about me? These are the questions she asks during Verse 1. That boy is on her mind all the time. You can’t help but feel it. It is what it is. She tells him, “I’ll give you this heart of mine.” Brandy demands her that her boyfriend never cheats on her or never lies to her. She feelin’ crazy. Brandy is on the borderline. She doesn’t wanna be schizo this time. She warns him, “Don’t you ever hurt me. I’ll change on you.”
Brandy is “the most jealous girl” in the whole wide world because she is falling in love all alone. Brandy asks to never be treated the same as she is not the same. Brandy is like nobody else because she can be so dangerous.
Bye Bipolar is another one of her deepest songs in her catalogue and is the closer for B7. Lyrics to his song are real emotional and honest. The song uses a piano-led ballad and a key change in her vocals. She uses the A minor key when singing and while changing notes. Her vocal performance is amazing with such prowess.
The song deals with having bipolar disorder in a relationship while dealing with her own mental health struggles. Having bipolar disorder in relationships make you feel feelings up and down like you’ve never had before. The song deals with her experiences of being in toxic relationships.
I rate this album 4/5****!!
Brandy’s Human album is a futuristic R&B/soul album with hi-fi production and sound from Darkchild. Of course this Brandy album filled with sultry love ballads and inspirational songs of motivation. She has a much deeper voice with a warmer tone. When Brandy sings on this album, her vocals use a lower register and textured falsetto. Brandy’s life challenges inspired the direction and the album’s title.
Brandy’s Human album was highly slept on by Brandy fans and the public in general. Human only managed to reach #15 on the Billboard 200 in 2008. Only over 200,000 were sold. The album was a flop compared to all of her albums.
On Human [Intro], Brandy shares on what she feels being a human being is in spoken monologue form. Being a human being is having the freedom to be yourself and not caring what other people think. Being a human being is also not being afraid of anything. This intro is short.
[Spoken Monologue]
What I feel being a human being is – is just, having the freedom to be yourself. Not caring what other people think. Just having that freedom to be you and not being afraid, because if you’re not yourself, then who are you?
The Definition is a song about Brandy being through the experiences of being in a relationship and about how she now has a good man by her side. The Definition defines the existence of love. Darkchild produced The Definition.
She dropped all that baggage and let go of the pain. You can have the pain as she is content with herself. She now got a good man. It feels like the beginning to her. It’s hard to explain it. Brandy has been through it all before in the past in a previous relationship.
You see, Brandy has been through the heartache, the break, and the shame as she has played the game. But she couldn’t seem to win. Brandy started to think something was wrong with her. This was until she was introduced to happiness by finding another man.
She made the greatest discovery of mankind. Her man defines the existence of love. She found it in him. She searched her whole life through. No longer uncertain. The definition of love is him.
Things get warm and cozy as Brandy warms it up with on the song Warm It Up (With Love). So get warm, comfortable, and cozy.
Brandy is up this song for freedom to give us something to believe in. There’s a whole world that’s freezing and she needs to warm it up with love which is what she planned all along on doing. She has got so many reasons for the truth for which she speaks. And I hope we can see we need to warm it up with love.
Darkchild produced the hi-fi futuristic pop song Right Here (Departed). Brandy’s vocals use a lower register and a textured falsetto with a notable lower tone. Right Here (Departed) was the lead singe for the Human album. However it was a moderate hit though both online and offline. People seem have forgotten the song after 2009.
In this song, Brady lets us know that regardless of what happens she will be right there for you. No matter the situation, you will never have to be alone. She will be your protection.
When your life is going too fast off the train tracks, she can slow it down. Just when you think you’re about to turn back, scared you might crash, she’ll be your ground. When you’re trapped and there’s no key. And you can’t breathe, she’ll breathe for you. When your tears have dried from cryin’ and the world has turned to silent, you’ll be right here with her. She’ll be right here with you. You’ll be right here with her.
Mr. Piano Man is similar to an Elton John song due to its calm nature and vibe. It is another love song. Mr. Piano Man is more pop than it is R&B/soul. One has to wonder if Brandy was inspired by Elton John when her and the producers were writing this song for Human. The lyrics are beautiful.
Darkchild makes an appearance and is featured in Verse 1.
[Verse 1]
Do you have a request book handy, I can flip through?
“I do,” he said, “My name is Rodney, good to meet you.”
“What do you wanna hear tonight?” He asked me
I said, “Something I can feel inside.”, oh whoa
“I got what you need, I know exactly…”
Why don’t we give this a try?
The Long Distance Interlude is where Brandy and her man complain about their long distance relationship over the phone. Their long distance relationship is killing them as they are too far apart.
Long Distance deals with the difficulties and strains of long-distance relationships. It could be a significant other or a family member. Being in a long distance relationship can be weird and difficult. You are not able to have time with your loved one(s).
Long Distance was a moderate hit however both online and offline. The songs wasn’t as popular or memorable as Right Here (Departed). Now both songs were hits for this album. Don’t get me wrong. People seem have forgotten the song after 2009.
Camouflage is a song that should have been a single. It’s that good. Epic shot themselves in the foot by not making this song into a single. The rhyming schemes used in this song match with the words used within the lyrics. In this song, Brandy is looking for someone to love her despite flaws in her personality. She won’t camouflage or change for love.
Brandy describes herself as a work in progress. She is a seed growing into a flower. She is a storm that’s rising and getting stronger with every hour. Brandy is well aware and knows she ain’t perfect. Tell me who in the world is.
She is searching for somebody to love her with these flaws she’s got. They’re a part of who she is. She won’t camouflage for love. Take her or not. She is so done trying to be everything you want. Brandy has learned from her previous mistakes in the past.
Torn Down is about how her love can’t be torn apart. She built this love in 24 hours. Made it brick by brick. She reached her limit screaming, “gimmie more power”. She cannot and won’t quit. She gonna love you right now. If she took a whole lifetime tryna find a way she’d be feeling useless. She can’t be torn down. Her love can’t be torn down.
They don’t know how our love is still standing. They won’t get it. They can try to shake the foundation just to try to do damage. We’re high up, baby.
Brandy makes mistakes. She is only human. That is what the song Human is about.
She cries when you cry. She hurts when you hurt. Brandy herself make mistakes, but she can’t turn back time. Forgive her as she is only human. Love her. Save her from herself. Embrace her. She’s perfectly human, but she is an angel in disguise. She is fragile and broken just like you. What are you afraid of? The future or the past?
Maybe what tears us apart is what brings us back together and everything that makes us different really brings us closer. Could you hold Brandy for a little while? Could you love her without a doubt? She needs you.
Brandy tells her lover not to shatter her heart on the song Shattered Heart as a shattered heart is a hard thing to fix.
Brandy has been saving up this treasured heart for years. She hid it somewhere so no one could touch it. With every love, Brandy had some reason to leave. No other like it cause it’s so authentic. Many tried, but couldn’t bear the load. Tried to break through the gate but didn’t have the gall. When she looked in your eyes, she thought of this. So she presents you with her most precious gift.
Brandy never knew that love can be so epic. You saved her cause you’re heroic. The legend has it that you’ve earned this throne since you came and pulled the sword out of the stone similar to the King Arthur story. This reference to King Arthur’s possession of Excalibur from Robert de Boron’s Merlin poem. Many tried, but couldn’t weather the storm. You came in her life and turned the lights on. So she presents you with her most precious gift.
Figuratively speaking, Brandy put her love from her heart in a jar like a piggy bank. That is what the lyrics in the pre-chorus mean.
[Pre-Chorus]
I put my love in a jar
In my heart, like a piggy bank
And I’m giving it to you
So whatever you do…
Brandy questions her lover about their love on the song True. She searches for the true meaning of love in this song of hers.
Brandy feels right at home when she is in her lover’s arms. That’s a feeling she never felt before.There’s nothing worse than being in love alone. She begins questioning her lover by asking many questions in the chorus.
[Chorus]
Is it true that I’m not the only one?
Is it true that you’re just having fun with my heart?
I need an answer.
Is it true? Is it true?
You’re her angel that was sent to Earth. In your eyes, she sees her future. She can’t be without you. So it’s got to work. ”Goodbye” is not an option. Don’t say that word.
[Bridge]
I’ve never been a victim of love before
So I’m not sure what I should be looking for
But I know the signs are in my face
Hope it’s not too late to change your mind and make you wanna stay
[Chorus]
Is it true that I’m not the only one?
Is it true that you’re just having fun with my heart?
I need an answer
Is it true? Is it true?
Is it true that I’m not the only one?
Is it true that you’re just having fun with my heart?
I need an answer
Is it true? Is it true?
[Outro]
If you just can’t tell me the truth
It wasn’t real when you said “I love you”
In the song A Capella (Something’s Missing), Brandy experiments with the sounds of acapella . This means that the whole song is an acapella. She sings and performs spoken word all at the same time in this song of hers. It’s another love song of course. She asks people to hear her search for something she is missing throughout the whole song. It is a long journey going in circles.
1st & Love is another love song from Brandy. The subject material is rehashed material about love. So it’s not too extraordinary to say the least. It’s a skip.
Brandy wants to lose herself to love in the song Fall.
Brandy wants to lose herself to love and let you have her completely If she give you all her trust, can she just let herself go? Let her not be afraid to let you find her way. Because when you find someone that means so much to you. Giving all you got is easy to do.
In Verse 2, Brandy finds herself about to lean over the edge. She has no fear when she is within your arms.
[Verse 2]
So I find myself right here
About to lean over the edge
In your arms, I have no fear
There is no safer place than here in your embrace
So catch me if I fall
Can she be scared a little bit? It’s not easy giving up trust. That is what the bridge to this song is describing.
[Bridge]
It’s not easy giving up trust
Can I be scared a little bit?
Then your heart is questioning
If you could really handle it?
Don’t wanna fall in love
So will you catch me, save me, and tell me I’ll be safe right here?
And if I’m the one that’s scared
So baby, come and fall right here
Gonna Find My Love is about how Brandy is going to find her love. Locket (Locked in Love) is about her being locked in love. It’s her being in a relationship.
I rate this album 4/5****!
On January 22nd, The Enzugiri Network’s, Pro Wrestling Fix will be presenting the inaugural ‘Tweet Clash’ on the R.A.W Media Twitter page!!!
There will be 5 match ups, that will all go live at 7pm on R.A.W Media’s Twitter, with a 24-hour voting poll to determine the winners!!!
So, ladies and gentlemen, here is the line up for the first ever ‘Tweet Clash’ card –
• PWF Social Media Champion Darko The Super vs. Ric Flair
• Tatanka vs. ECWA Heavyweight Champion Mr. Ooh La La (Non-Title Clash)
• Justin Credible vs. Tommy Dreamer
• RAW Culture (G.M. B-Eazy, DJ Chucky & Shadowstar Boxer) vs. The Bash Brothers (Mallz, Precyce Politix & Shape Cuts)
• Vampiro vs. Gangrel
You can get in on all the action, and vote for your favourites, right here – http://www.twitter.com/rawelementzjsy
Also make sure to follow Pro Wrestling Fix – http://www.twitter.com/prowrestlingfix
Lady Wray’s sophomore album Piece of Me is now available for preview streaming on Soundcloud and Bandcamp. The album will be available to all digital platforms on January 28, 2022. The date of the physical release for Piece of Me is January 20, 2022.
Piece of Me is Lady Wray’s comeback album that marks her maturity and growth in the music industry as a lady. You will love her soulful voice and harmony as she sings. She gets better with every single album she releases. Her voice gets deeper, darker, and smoother as the years progress forward. That is evident on songs Piece of Me, Come On In, and Storms. Songs such as Through It All and Under The Sun brighten up the album due to their upbeat nature and rhythms.
For those who don’t know, Lady Wray is Nicole Wray. The album “Piece of Me” serves as a testament to the trials and tribulations in her life both good and bad. The songs on this album represent the few milestones she has encountered in life. She has grown and matured as a person.
Soul fans and Nicole Wray fans will not be disappointed as this album follows the same old school soul formula of Queen Alone will staying relevant with a modern audience and her contemporaries. This is perfect deep Southern soul. Big Crown Records is doing something right by bringing back soul music everyone used to listen to. They put in soulful beats and soulful voices that speak to everyone’s heart and soul.
That is no coincidence as Leon Michels produced her entire album. Leon Michels does no wrong when it comes to production, songwriting, or singing. The recording process of this album took place from 2018 to 2021. The album took as long as 3 years to records. Leon Michels of Truth & Soul fame produced a majority/bulk of the songs on this album which is why you can hear his production all over the place.
Nicole talks about being committed to a long term relationship throughout the song Come On In. She will move forward in life and progress if she has a man in her life. The beginning starts off with a couple of heavy piano notes which quickly turn into a piano solo. The percussion selection is fairly balanced with not too many drums used.
Come On In is a Lady Wray composition full of heat! Not to mention deep. The song sounds very similar to Lean On Me by Bill Withers. The instrumentation gives Come On In a throwback sound which is smoother than sandpaper. The soulful beats give this song a soulful bounce hence the soulful sound. Leon Michels produced the song Come On In. Now the song Come On In only uses three instruments and her voice.
Nicole has been waiting for a man to come into her life. She is accepting towards a man coming into her life. She is willing to be in a long term relationship. She says she’ll be waiting. Waiting to be in a long term relationship with him. She will move forward in life and progress if she has a man in her life. Nicole talks about being committed to a long term relationship.
Nicole tells her man to set the bar and his standards high. They’ve come too far by faith to give up now at this point in the relationship. Nicole Wray took it to church with these lyrics “We come too far by faith”.
Lady Wray lets her man know that she is not playing games with her man’s heart and they can both overcome everything as a couple in a relationship even through storms. She asks her man to take all her love which she has given to him freely. There are so many reasons she believes in him. He is all hers.
She will be waiting patiently as he takes his own sweet time. So Lady Wray tells him take all the time he needs. Lady Wray lets her man know that she is not playing games with her man’s heart and they can both overcome everything as a couple.
Piece of Me is a sad heartbreaking love song that is filled with uncertainty and emotional attachment. The song is a perspective of her world. Throughout the song, she sings about sacrificing for her family even if they don’t always help, contribute, or give back. She broke us off a piece of her with this song soulfully speaking as this song represents the few milestones she has encountered in life. She broke herself off a piece of herself with this song.
Nicole and her man have been thru the best of times even through her darkest days. They’ve been through the best of times and the worst of times. Why must it turn around? She asks herself. Life has its uncertainties. Life is not fair. So many questions with so many answers. She’s not sure these days. He has been good to Nicole. That’s why it’s hard for her to walk away.
The queen marks her beautiful piano-laced comeback with the song Storms. Her vocals are amazing as always. Lady Wray can’t go wrong with the Big Crown sound. This song has Lady Wray tapping into her early years singing in church harmony. She goes straight to the point with Storms. Even through storms Lady Wray manages to overcome all odds. Leon Michels produced Storms using his own style of production and arrangements of course.
Lady Wray lets her man know that she is not playing games with her man’s heart and they can both overcome everything as a couple in a relationship even through storms. She asks her man to take all her love which she has given to him freely. There are so many reasons she believes in him. He is all hers. She will be waiting patiently as he takes his own sweet time. So Lady Wray tells him take all the time he needs.
Under the Sun is a beautiful feel-good song with that upbeat laid back summer vibe. Nicole just wants to have fun with her friends. The sun is shining and all the kids are running around. So pass the joint and take a hit. The wind is free under the sun. Nicole just wants to have a carefree life under the sun.
The song Through It All is about dedication through better or worse. Through It All uses more upbeat soulful bounce with the beats and vocals. Its percussion selection is fairly balanced with not too many drums used. The sound is smoother than sandpaper. A pitch-shifted soul sample seems to have been used looped throughout various parts of this song.
All you No Limit fans out there may remember back in the late 1990s that there were small advertisements printed in Master P’s albums, C-Murder’s album, and TRU’s 1997 album which implied that movie titled “Tears of a Clown” would be coming soon. The movie Tears of a Clown was said to be starring Master P & Eddie Griffin.
The first advertisements for Tears of a Clown appeared in Master P’s MP Da Last Don album and TRU’s Da Crime Family album. The first advertisement for Tears of a Clown was first shown in TRU’s Da Crime Family album in 1997. The second advertisement for Tears of a Clown appeared in Master P’s MP Da Last Don album in 1998.
However that movie was released under a different name. After extensive researching on Google and bing, The title for movie which starred Master P & Eddie Griffin Tears of a Clown had changed to Foolish which was shown in theaters in 1999. So basically Tears of a Clown was the precursor to Foolish and was released under a different name. That is why there were new advertisements for the movie being titled as Foolish instead of Tears of a Clown in post-1998 No Limit albums.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel called Tears of a Clown a “low budget-film” Miramax subsidiary Dimension Films would have likely distributed Tears of a Clown since they distributed the comedy movie I Got the Hook-Up. Trimark financed a number of No Limit Flims movies in the 1990s and 2000s.
Master P, Eddie Griffin, and Clifton Powell starred in many of the movies produced by No Limit Films during the 1990s and 2000s. This movie was no exception. Of course Master P and Eddie Griffin took credit and the limelight since they both wrote the movie themselves. Eddie Griffin did all the screenwriting for the movie.
The 25 track release! features the best FONZi has produced to date that tackle the age old topic of love
Born in Birmingham, UK. FONZi NeuTRON has developed a distinctive style over his 10 year recording and performing tenure. Attributing this to being a citizen of the World this can be heard in his ability to implement a masterful vernacular; with past, present and future elements alike.
1st Single “Roll With Me” some classic Hip-Hop Soul!
Hot Boyz is one of the highly known movies produced by No Limit Films and directed by Master P. The film is filled such heartbreaking emotional moments. Such emotional moments which went sorely overlooked.
For example the Porsha song called Nothing Stays The Same which played at the end of the Hot Boyz movie when Kool was reminiscing about the memories of his girlfriend Lashawna whom he had lost. It’s foolish to hide the pain because nothing can shield from the rain. We all know nothing stays the same. So stop holding it in. You know the saying, “Nothing stays the same on a lonely road.”
The aggressive vivid scene Snoop Dogg scene was another example of an emotional moment in the Hot Boyz film. C-Dawg caught Pee Wee getting high and snorting cocaine from their own supply of cocaine. Pee Wee fails to C-Dawg why he was sniffing cocaine which leads us to a transition scene where Kool is kicking back lounging. Kool mentioned to C-Dawg that Pee Wee’s mother died a month ago in a nursing home. Hardly anyone mentions that scene when Hot Boyz is brought up.
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