Design I like

Quality media design must express truth. Truth in the form of facts or emotional thought.I believe that this album art does just that. This is the Drakes most recent mixtape. It is in many ways a “debut” for this actor turned rapper turned singer. When I say debut it is not because it's the first work he has done, but because it is his first tape since being notice. What I mean by that is he now has a deal with Atlantic, he has also signed with Young Money and Hip-Hop Since 1978 a management firm that handles two of music largest names in Kanye West and Young Money CEO Lil Wayne. So this tape is our first true introduction to the artist, during his introduction to being a public artist.
Now that we cleared the context out of the way we can discuss the visuals. On the front of this tape we have a young boy standing on the artist name. The letters and the boy are all white. The boy is looking up as red hearts and red bills are raining down on him. I believe that the boy represents Drakes current standing in the music industry. He is just a boy, as far as his life in the industry is concerned. The red dollar bills and red hearts represent the changes that his musical abilities are bringing along. And that is what this album deals with. Because Drake is coming up in a field in which he loves I think the hearts represent that, along with his relationships (with females, and those he loves). When Drake discusses females all of the situations are conducive to his new life style. Canceling studio time to hang out, being in the studio and feeling longing for his loved one. One of the best examples of his work interfering with his love life is on the track The Clam "Uh/ And life is so insane/ look what I've became/ tryna make a name/All my first dates are interrupted by my fame/Because every picture taken is a fan that you can gain." The beginning of the verse also deals with how he views some of the changes to him self that this game brings alone. This brings me into the body language and setting of the young boy on the album cover. The child is surrounded by so much space and visually is standing on his own name and the words So Far Gone. The child is on his tippy toes, yet he isn’t fully stretching out towards these changes that are falling down on him. This is meant to represent some of Drakes struggles with his increasing accomplishments, both internally and even with his family. Which are all on full display in the album "Caught up in the game and it's one I can't postpone/Meaning if it rains I'm the one it's raining on.” This is one of the curses that come along with being gifted; when so much is investing in your personal stock, if it falls you simply bare the brunt end of things. Also another struggle with his success is the abnormal strain it has on his family with both his father “So I'm liftin' all alone try not to get a sprain/Hopin' western union doing currency exchange/Cause my dad called and got me feelin' guilty and ashamed/Like, how I had a rolls and I went and got a range/And he payin' for his cigarettes with dollars and some change” and his mother “And my mother embarrassed/To pull my phantom out/So I park about 5 houses down.” Consistent themes and meaning aside good media must also be appealing. The simplicity of the color scheme and the open space really make the visuals stand out. I think that this tape tells the story of a person that is rising away from the medium in life. I chose this graphic not only because it is aesthetically pleasing, but because it conveys the information that is in the music. Their for it is good media, to me.

Drake - Lust For Life X HoustonAtlantaVegas [mash-up]

Another mash up. This time Drakes Lust For Life And HoustonAtlantaVegas meets 2046. I caught 2046 in media 150 lecture. Check it out let me know what you think!
Drake - Lust For Life x HoustonAtlantaVegas [mash-up video] from 5846productions on Vimeo.

Welcome Yall

This blog is going to be used to document my time in media 150 and my relationship with media. Media is a large part of my life. I am an aspiring film maker and one third of a music production team. I shoot on a Cannon HV30 and make music on fl studio.
I hope everyone had a great weekend. In the world of media it was truly an eventful one.

Three of musics brightest young stars presented us with mixtapes.
Young money cash money's rapper turned singer Drizzy Drake Rogers let the internet fiending at the wee hours of Thursday night. His much anticipated mixtape So Far Gone was set to hit Zshare Thursday before 12pm. Octobers very own (Drakes Blog) forgot to inform his audience that they were working on Pacific Time. Due to a last minute addition to the album by RnB artist Omarian and the hotels slow internet the album was not posted till Friday at noon eastern time. While technical restraints were holding back So Far Gone. Another Interscope artist, Charles Hamilton dropped his "cinematic musical master piece" Well Isn't this Awkard. The mixtape is set up like a movie. The movie is about a homeless musical drifter who lust for a well to do woman who lives in the neighborhood he wanders around. Now while both these tapes were announced and waited on, the weekend held two nice little surprises for music listeners. The lyrical beast that is Blu dropped a valentines day tape, Her Favorite Colour. While Charles Hamilton came out of no where and dropped a tape on presidents day, that he wrote on valentines day called My Brain Is Alive.
Drake really went in on So Far Gone. After waiting up till 3:30 I was sure I would despise the tape for all that it put me through and the sloppyness displayed by the artist.(I hold artist that I ride for in high re guard) But the kid delivered. The tape is an extremely stylistic and emotional piece. Most of the internet hate is generated from most peoples angry that a kid with such lyrical ability spent alot of time making "emo r n b." This is sheer ignorance. In the year 2009 as an artist you must be able to make all types of music. Ever genre is all inclusive and not only is Drake allowing him self a greater chance at commercial relevance, he can flat out sing. While most people hold no stock in mixtapes, this one reads like an album. You get a window into this mans life and what its like to see success and fame on the horizon.
This weekend Charles Hamilton proves yet again that he is hip hops next great work horse.(Wayne Watch out!) While Isn't this Awkward is suppose to be a fictional piece. I can't help but believe that the tape has to do with him and his awkward obsession with pop sensation Rihanna. Besides having a track on the tape called "Re- anna" he samples Rihanna on half the tracks as well as sampling her ex boy friend Chris Brown. This tape awkwardly enough comes out just a week after Rihanna broke up with her boy friend over spousal abuse. The other tape My Brian Is Alive is quiet a full project that brings us into charles mind via his emotional lyrically sharp lackadaisical flow.
Blu drops off a short but sweet Valentines day project that has the jazzy, soulful, uber chill vibes we all love and expect from hip hops most down to earth author.

Truly a great weekend. It might be remembered as the best weekend for LEAKS ever..
Here the tapes for your amusement

Download: Drake - So Far Gone
Download: Charles Hamilton - My Brain Is Alive
Download: Charles Hamilton - Well Isn't This Awkward
Download: Blu - HerFavoriteColo(u)r