Heather A. Faison, AKA Haftime, is the young whippersnapper with her ears to the street. I’m the old fogey who’s trying desperately to keep up with what’s new and hot.
This week: A rapper from Ghana. Another UK chick who blows my mind. And the girl with the song about nails is back. Check it out!
Blitz the Ambassador – Breathe
Haftime: Aight. First up: Blitz the Ambassador.
AK: Love the music.
AK: He reminds me of Black Thought.
AK: Where is he from?
AK: Love the horns!
Haftime: Ghana
Haftime: And he always performs with live horns. Sweet.
Haftime: Reviewed his album for OKP *plug.
AK: He always plays with live horns?!
AK: Nice!
Haftime: It’s a part of his act. Very much like Black Thought.
AK: Ghana by way of Brooklyn?
AK: Looks like Black Thought from far away.
Haftime: Oh, he’s of Ghanaian descent.
AK: sidebar: Once interviewed Black Thought. Hardest. Interview. Ever.
AK: He was SO not in the mood.
Haftime: Dude’s had a hard life.
AK: Took a train with him from Philly to a performance in NYC. Pulling teeth for each quote.
AK: Anyhoo. I like this dude!
AK: Blitz the Ambassador. Name’s kinda whack.
Haftime: Agree!
AK: But I love that horn section. Reminds me of Nas’ production.
AK: On his first album.
Haftime: The horns save him in the end.
AK: Voice sounds a little Nas-ish too.
AK: What’s next!
VV Brown – Shark in the Water
Haftime: V V Brown – Shark in the Water.
Haftime: Can’t get enough of these UK chicks.
AK: Love. 2 seconds in.
Haftime: Yeah, her full name is Vanessa Brown.
AK: She sounds like you-know-who.
Haftime: A lil retro pop.
Haftime: Amy….
AK: Yup!
Haftime: Geez!
AK: I really like this.
AK: But what does that mean? Shark in the water? Something underneath my bed?
AK: I caught them barking at the moon? What is she talking about?
Haftime: Ha! I have NO idea.
AK: Don’t you want to know what the lyrics are about?
Haftime: She could sing the A, B, C song and I’d listen.
AK: I can’t fully commit to loving this song if I don’t know what she’s saying!
Haftime: Seriously?
AK: Well. I never knew the words to Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Starting Something” and I still love that song.
AK: Do you know the opening lines of “Wanna Be Starting Something”?
AK: Without Google.
Haftime: Dang. No Google? Nope.
AK: Do you know the song?!?
Haftime: Yeah!
AK: You’d better!
Haftime: Not the opening lines.
AK: “I took my baby to the doctor…”
AK: “With a fever/but nothing he found…”
AK: I always thought he was saying, “With a fever for nothing rebound.”
AK: Which makes no sense.
AK: The whole song makes no sense!!
AK: But I digress. A lot. Apologies.
Haftime: *Shrugs. I get lyrics wrong all the time.
AK: VV Brown is hotness.
AK: Y’know, I gotta say. I’m impressed with your breadth of music knowledge.
Haftime: *Blushing.
AK: I really feel like I’m hip and happening. I know what’s new and hot!
AK: What’s next!
Kid Sister – Right Hand Hi
Haftime: New one from Kid Sister.
AK: Ah. She’s down with Kanye, right?
AK: Is she a rapper or a singer?
Haftime: Well, on that one song.
Haftime: Rapper…to some a parody.
AK: I know she had a song about getting her nails done? I never heard the song. But I saw her picture on the blogs.
AK: Did that song get any radio airplay?
Haftime: Pro Nails. Not really outside of the Chi.
Haftime: I mean, in the clubs maybe.
AK: Right.
AK: Is this her singing in the beginning?
AK: She sounds like a novelty act.
AK: But she actually *can* rap.
AK: Love the name Kid Sister.
Haftime: Don’t know if I’d go that far (rap).
AK: Well. She does *something* well.
AK: She’s got better mic control then I do.
AK: I would sound ridiculous trying to duplicate this song.
Haftime: Ok. I was knockin’ Pro Nail. Won’t front.
AK: Rapping is actually harder than it seems.
AK: It’s *hard*
AK: But anyway. Kid Sister is not for me. This is club/techno music.
Haftime: Her album’s been delayed two years now.
AK: Reminds me of Berlin, Germany. Went on a press trip there. Spent each night in nightclubs with strobing lights, glow sticks, techno. My head hurts just thinking about it.
Haftime: Aww man! Dopeness.
AK: She’ll be huge overseas. If she’s not already.
Haftime: Well, not the headache.
AK: Germany. Not dopeness.
Haftime: She has a nice size indie following.
AK: I can imagine.
AK: But I ain’t in it.
Haftime: Brick for Haftime?
AK: Now, I’m liking BlitzMaster Amabassador. Or whatever his name is.
Haftime: You tore his name up!
AK: But I’m *loving* VV Brown. Love. Love. Love.
AK: Ambassador MasterBlitzer?
Haftime: Ah no.
AK: Whatevs!
Haftime: Blitz the Ambassador.
Haftime: Gotta keep your ears open for that UK talent.
Haftime: Is that a wrap?
AK: Yes ma’am! Ya done good!
Haftime: *Taking a bow.
Haftime: Thank you, Thank you.
AK: Ya earned it.
Aliya S. King 
August 10, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Kid Sister is wack! I usually support my Chicago people but she gets no love over here. She is the epitome of nepotism–which wouldn’t be a bad thing if she actually had talent. She’s lucky she’s pretty, otherwise nobody would be checking for her.
And yes, this qualified as hating. :)
August 10, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I like that Blitz cat.
August 10, 2009 at 3:44 pm
This is my first comment here but I just had to say that I’m loving “New Music Monday”! So far, I’ve been feeling some of the artists introduced and even bought a few new albums. I hadn’t heard of them before they were featured last week but will definitely be checking out the Noisettes when they visit DC in a couple days. Thanks!
August 13, 2009 at 1:03 am
Blitz is straight. Not really feeling VV on that particular track. I’ve heard some of her other stuff. I like her sound but I have yet to fall in like with any of her songs.
I interviewed Kid Sister, kind of valley girlish so on the record she comes off as a poser.