Thursday, August 30, 2012

MODERN MICHAEL JACKSON (1991 – 2010)


MODERN MICHAEL JACKSON (1991 – 2010)


Excusez-moi? I beg your pardon? What did you say? 'You thought you heard all his music?' Don't crucify me if I'm wrong — but I highly doubt the fact that you or anyone was still a "die-hard" MJ fan after the 90s.

Unfortunately, after Michael Jackson's Dangerous (1991) album — his post-works were all deemed commercial failures. Majority of his music were overshadowed by the paparazzi and their sensational accusations & 
unrelenting tabloids that consumed the tail-end of his career...it was child molestation allegations & sexual abuse headlines that eventually ruined his monumental career and evidently — his abnormal life. 


Although still productive, his music took a backseat to anything & everything that wasn't "Breaking News" — additionally, the dawn of Hip-Hop culture and spawn of Rap music further hindered his music career because MJ just wasn't cool enough or simply wasn't down enough w/ the bling-bling, poppin' bottles, G's & hoe's!




And this is coming from a person who idolized MJ as a kid...I had his Thriller record w/ him posing on the inside of that record w/ a baby tiger -so f'in cool & penny loafers in elementary school...I remember showing-off the album to my best friend Peter S. and vaguely remember asking him, "Do you have Michael Jackson's record?" He replied, "No, but I can hum the tune to the song 'Beat It!" WTF?! LOLOLOL's] Sadly enough, the casual MJ fan gave-up on him & his music a long, long time ago and I can honestly say I did the same.

Although I would put nothing past any Michael Jackson fan (over 750 million records sold worldwide), the casual MJ fan most likely stopped listening to him after his Bad (1987) & Dangerous (1991) albums but they most certainly quit after the HIStory (1997) album.

==
I -Kong, can honestly say that I am a "die-hard" MJ who gave-up on the "power of his music" when Invincible (2001) was released in the new millennium.

Invincible (2001) was his first "true" attempt to crossover into the modern/contemporary R&B/Hip-Hop field by hiring the most elite producer at the current time: Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins ("Don't Want To Be A Player No More" – Joe, "The Boy Is Mine" – Brandy & Monica, "Angel Of Mine" – Monica, "He Wasn't Man Enough For Me" – Toni Braxton, "Say My Name" – Destiny's Child, "Rock My World" – Michael Jackson, etc.) 



The End?


Fast forward a decade later, the King of Pop ~ Michael Jackson died unexpectedly on Thursday, June, 25th, 2009. The world mourned his death & his record sales skyrocketed...his chart sales was once again off-the-richter! As with any famous musician's death (Biggie, 2Pac, etc.), a posthumous album was due out...Sony Music Entertainment signed a $250 million deal w/ Jackson's Estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017 and were set to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death. 

I was skeptical about the quality of any posthumous albums because these were all unreleased or unfinished songs that an artist had in their catalog. Regardless of the reason, these are songs the artist never released or finished. 


What's even more disheartening is that Michael Jackson was perhaps the most extreme perfectionist the music world has ever seen. Every artist that has ever collaborated w/ him says he is far beyond driven to complete & perfect any song he creates — his level of perfection is unmatched & unparalleled in the music industry (which is evident in his tireless work habit: choreography, composing, dancing, singing & producing to the utmost extreme)...he maximized his talent because he pushed himself to be the best he could possibly be (we -too, should instill that type of motivation & work ethic in our lives as well).



The day was Friday, December 17th, 2010, I went to Best Buy and purchased Michael Jackson's "Michael", T.I.'s "No Mercy" & deadmau5's "4x4=6." Regrettably, I can honestly say I gave MJ's "new" album a 'one spin & done!' <--- I wasn't really feelin' the album –maybe because I subliminally knew it was a compilation of "unreleased" tracks that was hidden in his vault?

Ironically, another Michael...Michael S. asked how the album was, I told him, "It's just 'ok'...nothing special" He eventually stopped-by one weekend...we both listened to most of the album in my living room and were highly impressed by a few tracks –mainly "Monster" feat. 50 Cent & "(I Can't Make It) Another Day" feat. Lenny Kravitz. 




During the week, Michael S. kept texting & BBM-ing me saying the album is, "UN-REAL!" Being the stubborn person that I am, I stuck w/ my "original" claim that is was still just "okay" "it's good –nothing spectacular", etc. But then I really began playing listening to album...I would wake-up every morning and the "Michael" album would just put me in a damn good mood! It's a bonafide "feel-good" infectious album that makes you wanna dance and shake your butt!

After a week of listening to the album that I slept-on, I can honestly say it is One of My Favorite Albums of All-Time! (Bold statement, no?) Although it is a short album, 10 tracks clocking-in at under 42 mins., each & every track is UN-F*CKIN-REAL!

Please do not believe the skeptics who say it's not him singing or that the quality is lacking because after extensive & intensive research...I discovered that most of the songs were "officially" done, they just weren't released.


Feeding-off the energy & excitement of his " Michael" album, I became a "born-again" Michael Jackson fan...I began listening to all his forgotten albums...not his older stuff like Thriller (1982) & Bad (1987) but his more modern ones...records that people literally discarded or slept-on. 

Ultimately, I created a CD called, "Modern Michael Jackson (1991 – 2010)" It contains my absolute favorite MJ tracks that never went mainstream & became popular because pop music had changed considerably through-out the decade –straying away from the most dominant & most talented figure in music history.


Michael Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all-time by Guinness World Records. The following is the perfect assessment of Michael Jackson's post-1980's work that I came across on the internet:


"For the one-year anniversary since his tragic death, then, I thought it would be appropriate to draw attention back to the brilliance of his work. While some of the songs on this list will be well-known, others have received little attention. One of the goals of my book is to encourage a major re-assessment of Michael's post-1980s work, much of which is outstanding. Contrary to conventional wisdom, Jackson's artistry didn't decline after Thriller; much like the Beatles, it evolved in exciting and compelling ways.
Unfortunately, most media purveyors and music critics dismissed this evolution because a) they couldn't look past Jackson's tabloid persona, and b) he never outsold Thriller (a feat, incidentally, that no other artist accomplished either). But there are countless gems in his late albums, and many others that never even made it onto his studio records." — Joe Vogel is the author of the forthcoming book Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson (Sterling Publishing).

“MODERN” MICHAEL JACKSON (1991 – 2010) 
01.    “In the Closet” – Michael Jackson. (Dangerous 1991)
02.    “Can’t Let Her Get Away” – Michael Jackson. (Dangerous 1991)
03.    “Who Is It?” – Michael Jackson. (Dangerous 1991)
04.    “Give Into Me” – Michael Jackson feat. Slash. (Dangerous 1991)
05.    “This Time Around” – Michael Jackson feat. The Notorious B.I.G.
             (HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I 1995)
06.    “Morphine” – Michael Jackson feat. Slash.
             (Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix 1997)
07.    “Heartbreaker” – Michael Jackson feat. Fats. (Invincible 2001)
08.    “Butterflies” – Michael Jackson feat. Floetry. (Invincible 2001)
09.    “Speechless” – Michael Jackson. (Invincible 2001)
10.    “2000 Watts” – Michael Jackson feat. Teddy Riley. (Invincible 2001)
11.    “Hollywood Tonight” – Michael Jackson. (Michael 2010)
12.    "(I Like) The Way You Love Me" – Michael Jackson. (Michael 2010)
13.    "Monster" – Michael Jackson feat. 50 Cent. (Michael 2010)
14.    “Best Of Joy” – Michael Jackson. (Michael 2010)
15.    “Breaking News” – Michael Jackson. (Michael 2010)
16.    “Behind the Mask” – Michael Jackson. (Michael 2010)




†  †  †

For those who would like a CD copy of Modern Michael Jackson (1991 – 2010), simply submit a request at: theKONGSHOP@Gmail.com -or- schedule a pick-up at any of the events hosted by me at: www.theKONGLIST.com


Please also remember to write, "Modern Michael Jackson (1991 – 2010)" on the subject line, thank you!

"Hee! Hee!!"


R.I.P.  MICHAEL JACKSON  R.I.P.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

thePISS & COMMANDO STORY


Once upon a time... ...I "thought" I was dating this girl whom I "thought" was the Love of My Life. I mean, she was everything I dreamed & hoped for; a unique-looking beauty who was a "self-professed" geek w/ a rather simple yet trendsetting-style including the world's most beautiful smile...until one day, one fateful day...we were texting back n' forth while I was at work...I told her, "I just f'in pee'd on my boxers by accident!" (To further explain in detail, I was in the bathroom pee-ing & the piss hit my belt and ricocheted onto my boxers).

She replied, "Ewwwwwww."

"Oh no he didn't!"

I eventually told her I went, "Commando" and that my jeans now felt like an, "Air conditioner!" I thought the whole incident was pretty funny....but for some strange reason, I never heard from her ever again.

~The End~

Friday, August 24, 2012

† R.I.P. GEANINNA RANIERI R.I.P. †




Sadly, I found-out on Thursday that One of the Coolest, Most Funny-Loving Girl I had a pleasure of knowing "Gio" passed-away the day before from a terrible motorcycle accident...my heart & prayers goes out to her, her friends & family...I will always cherish the goofy n' silly convos we had and the "ĂĽber-fun" times we spent...but most of all, her "care-free & open" heart and "beautiful" smile!

I will always miss you G...I ♥ you! R.I.P.





When I first met G, we clicked...it was like; you just look at each other — and say no more, that-was-that, you already knew what you both were thinking at that exact moment -at the same time...but I felt like I was "over-protective" because I felt like everyone...like Everyone was in total love w/ her -for she was just that — "extra" special...and since I was "very- protective" of her; I began interviewing, screening & running background checks on EVERYONE...j.k...bricare-free, goofy, funny, pretty, silly...I can go on & on!




My Dearest Geannina, Thank you for all the fun times —goofy n' silly convos we had...may you forever Rest In Peace








Hi G, in case you didn't know...I started my own blog...and guess what?
You're one of the most read ones *wink* thanks!

R.I.P.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

ENTER: TRAP MUSIC

In case you guys didn't know, TRAP MUSIC has taken over the RAP/HIP-HOP WORLD! Trap music? What is Trap Music?? Well, here's an internet explanation:

"The origin of the Trap genre is characterized by an aggressive attitude in sound (that dope dealers listen to), incorporating brass, triangle, snappy snares and hi hats, loud kicks, and booming 808′s (Southern drum beats). Traditionally speaking, rappers like (T.I.), Waka Flocka, Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane would be classified as the original sound of Trap, however, the genres recent mutation has seen the popularity of techno and dub sounds incorporated more significantly into the overall trending sound."


"B.M.F." – Rick Ross feat. Styles P. Produced by Lex Luger.





"MC Hammer" – Rick Ross feat. Gucci Mane. Produced by Lex Luger.




In my opinion, it was Rick Ross & producer Lex Luger who brought Trap Music to the mainstream w/ the singles "B.M.P." & "MC Hammer" — Lex Luger is a young producer from Virginia who uses mainly computer software; more specifically a PC-based digital audio workstation called Fruity Loops (since technology is now so advanced, music equipment is not necessarily needed to create top-level beats w/ quality production). Lex caught the ear of Kanye West & Jay-Z so much as they had him produce their lead single "H.A.M." off their "highly-anticipated" collabo album: Watch The Throne (2011). At 2011 BET Awards, Lex Luger won the award for Producer of the Year at the ripe age of 20 yrs-old.

"H.A.M." – Kanye West & Jay-Z. Produced by Lex Luger.




It's f'in kray to consider or even dare say, the hardest rapper out in the rap scene is currently Kayne West? Sad but true. He has perhaps the hardest singles out...Kanye West a.k.a. Kim Kardashian's beau is the Hardest Rapper Alive! Ain't that some sh*t?!


"I Wish You Would/Way Too Cold" – DJ Khaled feat. Kanye West & Rick Ross. Produced by Hit-Boy. Video by Hype Williams.


Trap music seems to be now...what's next for the ever-evolving world of rap music?

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

A-Rod's Two HRs Ruins Actor Will Smith's Debut







HAHA! Jokes on you! It's Will Smith from the Kansas City Royals NOT Will Smith the actor!! LOLOLOLOL's

BREAKING NEWS: A-ROD QUITS BASEBALL OPTS FOR FOOTBALL!

SIKE! A-Rod isn't auditioning to be the Giants or Jets third-string quarterback - he's rehabbing his broken had.

A-ROD RETIRES FROM MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
PURSUES PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL —

POSITION: QUARTERBACK  

               TEAM: SEATTLE PEACOCKS

— FORFEITING $114 MILLION BASEBALL DOLLARS


theSUN-MAID CRANBERRIES STORY


Once upon a time...I had to undergo several gum surgeries in order to correct the alignment of gums because the surgery wasn't healing right. Part of the recovery was to quit drinking n' smoking for several weeks and to cut-down on candy. In efforts to obey the dentists orders, I have now taken-up Sun-Maid Cranberries from New England's Cape Cod countryside. They are naturally sun-ripened, sweetened, dried, then carefully moisturized and packed into our foil-fresh, 6 oz. zipper bags. All the natural goodness and flavor are locked in each time you open and close the bag. Just 1/3-cup (about 1 & 1/2 oz.) provides a full serving of fruit.

Add to recipes!! Sprinkle over cereal or salads!! Use as a topping for yogurt and ice cream!! Eat right from the bag for an anytime, convenient, high-energy snack!


It wasn't even the teeth doctors who convinced me to cut-down on buying & eating candy, my idol & teacher: RZA the Abbot once stated, "Now penny candy is poison...when you buy a piece of candy for a penny, you're just getting poison...sugar, dye, tar design and all that..."



"Tragedy" – The RZA feat. Truth. Produced by The RZA.


"Penny candy poisonous rappers, best to chill or get your head gashed

Lemonhead, sour patch kids, best to grab
A Life Savor, I'll Jawbreak ya, Boston Bake ya
Then plant my sunflower seed on every square acre"

~The End~

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS — 25

Johnny Rodd, Tom Coughlin (Head coach of the 2007 & 2011 NFL Champions – New York Giants), Dickhead Ross the Pedophile, Sally G & Tony V @ theKONGLIST™ Charity Event

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS — 24

Tazz All Pro & D-Block's own: Jadakiss @ SPY, NYC

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS — 23

Steve-O from MTV's Jack-Ass fame along w/ the DirtyStayOut Crew @ SPIRIT, NYC

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS — 22

Rapper: Juelz Santana & New York Knicks: J.R. Smith greeting one anotherNBA Draft Party @ AMNESIA, NYC – Hosted by theKONGLIST®

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS — 21


Comedian: Tracey Morgan being interviewed near the Top of the Rock


HIDDEN HUMAN HISTORY MOVIE


Religion-wise...my Mom is Buddhist, my Dad is an Atheist and I'm suppose to be Catholic but eventually became more or less Spiritual...I consider myself a rather open-minded/deep-thinking person who's an entertainment (movie/music/sports)/pop-culture fanatic...after watching this video, I can honestly say, "I HAVE BECOME ENLIGHTENED -AGAIN!" Could this be the Actual Story of the History of Our Human Race?


"Our history is not what we think! Over the past few thousand years, we have warped our own history. Our versions of the past has been mistranslated, changed, altered, and skewed to fit our understanding of reality, and completely left our many things that we cannot explain. Today, we are going to look at an alternate version of our history, a version that was recorded across many ancient tablets and artifacts throughout time, which have only recently been uncovered. This story may be a little cosmic, it may not even be true, but you will have to decide that for yourself.”

HALL OF SHAME: PIC #35


Make a wish!

HALL OF SHAME: PIC #34


The Big Dipper!

HALL OF SHAME: PIC #33


Which way is up? Which way is down??

HALL OF SHAME: PIC #32


And we have lift-off...

HALL OF SHAME: PIC #31


When she won't even let you 'sleep on the couch...'

Monday, August 20, 2012

TONY SCOTT (Jun 21st, 1944 – Aug 19th, 2012) R.I.P.

R.I.P. Tony Scott (June 21st, 1944 – August 19th, 2012) R.I.P.

Monday mornings is perhaps the worst day of the week for me...I'm usually depressed, moody, and feel like a piece of worthless pile-of-sh*t. (Why? Perhaps it's because all my dopamine a.k.a. "feel-good" hormones have been used up after the weekend's festivities). As I walk-out my building and headed towards the bus stop (I take the bus -to- the subway; to & from work), I see thee most pregnant woman ever! I said to myself, "Shouldn't a woman w/ her baby about to literally pop-out of her stomach stay at home?" 

As I watch her grimace in pain at every step she takes, I thought myself, 'Atleast she can take advantage of one of the three new elevators courtesy of the $88 million dollar renovation via the Stimulus Project.' As she approached one of the elevators, the electronic sign read: OUT-OF-ORDER. I felt so bad for her as she would have to "walk-up" approx. 3-4 staircases...please note, I just barely made it into the departing train and she unfortunately did not...read on as this Monday gets worse.

As I play musical chairs (I'm like a train diva trying to find the best subway seat because the A/C can be extremely frigid –at times); I finally settled-down. When I looked to my right, I read one of the headlines of a newspaper:

Director Tony Scott Jumps to His Death From Los Angeles Bridge – The New York Times

At first I thought it was a headline for an upcoming Hollywood movie but soon took to my smartphone to confirm the sad news. As more details emerge from his suicide note, it is apparent that he was suffering from inoperable brain cancer and committed suicide to spare himself and his family the pain of watching him die slowly. I'm not condoning his actions but trying to understand his decision.


Tony Scott is perhaps my favorite Hollywood director and I'm so sad to see him go...may he rest in peace.
  •     The Hunger (1983)
  •     Top Gun (1986)
  •     Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
  •     Revenge (1990)
  •     Days of Thunder (1990)
  •     The Last Boy Scout (1991)
  •     True Romance (1993)
  •     Crimson Tide (1995)
  •     The Fan (1996)
  •     Enemy of the State (1998)
  •     Spy Game (2001)
  •     Man on Fire (2004)
  •     Domino (2005)
  •     DĂ©jĂ  Vu (2006)
  •     The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)
  •     Unstoppable (2010)

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's "CLASSIC" Collabos (2Pac)


"Thug Luv" – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony feat.  2Pac. Produced by DJ U-Neek.

KONGFUSCIOUS say, "When I first heard this bomb track, I was so scurrred by the gun-loading sound 'click-click' followed by the .12 gauge shotgun blast 'bang-bang' –that I ran and hid in my "walk-in" pantry in college for 14 days straight! Back then, it was all about actin' & being the HARDEST (Brooklyn reppin' Upstate Albany) that this was my theme song in '98! Tupac & Bone Thug further solidified the Gangsta Rap genre in the mainstream — DJ U-Neek brought an "eerie & unique" sound to this collabo w/ the "signature" 'click-click/bang-bang' beat-hook that had rap heads deeply memorized & so hyped that they were buckin' shots in the air, "Bo! Bo!!" In addition to this menacing, hard-hittin' track layered w/ a dark n' heavy bass-line along w/ the haunting, "Chu-chu-chu-chu-ha-ha-ha..." from Friday the 13th! Scary indeed.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's "CLASSIC" Collabos (Biggie Smalls)



"Notorious Thugs" – The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Produced by Stevie J & Puff Daddy.

KONGFUSCIOUS say, "Heralded as One of the Greatest Rap Songs of All-Timesss...this track features One of the Very First Rappers (Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone & Wish Bone) to incorporate melodic singing w/ their raps...B.I.G. –on the otherhand, switched-up his flow...partaking in Bone Thug's signature-style and rhymed "double-" & even "triple-time" –causing a "ripple-effect" as other NYC rappers also took to the "tongue-twisting" rapping-style (made popular in the South & Midwest) and began taking their stab at it (i.e. Nas, Mobb Deep, Puff Daddy, etc.)...in fact, almost every rapper had atleast one "multi-syllable/rapid-fire flow" track on one of their albums –courtesy of B.I.G. ♪ "Babay, babayyy!" ♫
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