THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER ENTERTAINMENT

Man does Marsha Ambrosius lay down the law to us 'round the way playa's on her new single "I Hope She Cheats On You (With A Basketball Player)"! Any woman who has gotten bumped for a model upgrade will relate to this gem and any of us dudes who has lost a woman to a celebrity type guy will remember that pain. Comments like "I like this. Everyone has felt like this a time or 2" "Ouch" and "I love the way in one verse she admits she is bitter, lmao" are some of the best descriptions of the single which is in "set-up" mode on your local radio stations. Ambrosius technical work is still as sharp as when she was one half of Floetry. In listening to a live version of the song Marsha's voice is even more captivating than the recording! Musically, the piano and bass lines are simple but powerful. I think, like one fan put it "It grows on you!"
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KNOWWAX had a chance to go to a "LIVE" performance with Lyfe Jennings at DC's Zanzibar on the Waterfront this past Thursday evening. Warner Brother Records put on the showcase and the only unfortunate thing is that a major city like Washington, DC doesn't have better venues to serve up showcases with this potential. Most of the faces in the crowd were new to me. No DC or Baltimore radio, No retailers (are there any left?), and just one other blogger, one concert promoter and one Independent  record promoter. My big question; Is the DC music scene that dead or does the industry not like Lyfe?

When Jenning's and his crew hit the stage the crowd was buzzing. The house, predominantly full of ladies, were kept waiting just long enough for a good swell of anticipation. The room also didn't mind that Lyfe Jennings talked a lot between each song he sang. The group of peers around me pointed out that the hard sounding singer's wardrobe didn't match his strong voice... Oh, what was he wearing? Some white Capri Shorts... I know it was a warm night but that wasn't a good look! Lyfe's voice sounded great even with the inadequate sound system and he broke down each song, which he pins himself, just in case you've ever had trouble deciphering the lyrics which range from the hard truth of "Statistics" to the gospel tinged "It Could Have Been Worse" off of his soon to be released album "I Still Believe" on Warner Brother Records.
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"W.ants W.orld W.omen" is the new album from the Motor City's, Dwele (full name Andwele Gardner). What can I say except this is another strong piece of art by the crafty artist. I just discovered that their are two versions of the CD; the iTunes version has one bonus song "Motivate" and the Best Buy version has three additional songs "She's A Star", "Kissing Game" and "You Don't Love Me" and then there is my version that doesn't have any of those songs. This is a great selling tool and it will be interesting to see if this strategy works for record sales.

This album is broken down into the three categories Wants, World and Women, each having their own distinct tone. There are a few surprise guest artists appearing like David Banner, Raheem DeVaughn, Slum Village and a blast from the past DJ Quik! My joint is track #2 "I Wish", it has a low super funky bass, a clanky keyboard, words that mean something and a groove that pierces through you. Other great songs are the current single "What's Not To Love" and check out a song called "My People" which features a roomy track (just a little percussion, keys and light horns) with more meaningful lyrics. This ones a winner and I don't think you'll be mad if you download it to your laptop!

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I'm on my way to Steve Harvey's "Hoodie Awards" in Las Vegas so read me next week when I'll give you what I get! Also I've been into the new album from Kem "Intimacy" so I will break that down for you and what other people are saying about it! Also it's FANTASY FOOTBALL time and women & men all around the country are watch more & more Sports Center so they can get their drafts together. I'll give you my breakdown and two cents worth of opinion!

Finally I'd like to thank a few people who have inspired me to write about the things I know. My Big Brother of the Blog mentor GARY HARRIS, his blogs are phenomenal! XINA EILAND who is taking Social Media to the next level! And finally PAUL PORTER one of the most knowledgeable music minds around who just by a few encouraging words help me write one more time! THANK YOU ALL...