So last night the Hollywood Palladium was the place to be for Common and Friends Benefit Concert. Looks like Kanye definitely got the memo for this one -- he took the stage to perform with Common, Nas Mos Def, Queen Latifah, and Talib Kweli. Some decent footage below...
It's hard to believe at the tender age of 14, Lloyd was about to break open the music scene with his first album, Oh My Lloyd. Unfortunately, his then-label, Magic Johnson's MJM, failed and pushed Lloyd back into the shadows of the music world. Never one to stand on the sidelines, Lloyd, now 21 years old, has just released his new album, Street Love.
"Everything up until this point has been a stepping stone. And now that I'm 21, I'm more confident in my sound than ever," Lloyd says. With a roster including collaborations with Lil Wayne, Young Joc, Andre 3000, and Nas, Street Love is an album packed with an old school R&B feel combined with smooth hip-hop beats. Lloyd describes the album as, "hard drum rhythm beats over smooth melodic melodies -- which I call the best of both worlds: hip-hop and R&B combined to create Street Love."
Hit single, "You" featuring Lil Wayne has brought Lloyd into the spotlight. "I'm just ready to prove myself and make my mark on the world and let everyone know that I deserve to be here," Lloyd says.
Lloyd chases a woman over a thumping bass line in "Get it Shawty," produced by Usher's younger brother James "J. Lack" Lackey. (The song is an obvious club favorite.) Lloyd's coy vocals are comparable to a young Michael Jackson, and he brings soulful rhythm back to his hip-hop flavor.But it's songs like "Hazel" and "Valentine" that prove Lloyd isn't just a little boy anymore, and he's ready to take on love and relationships like a grown man. In "Player's Prayer," Lloyd shows off his crooner R&B style as his professes his wrongdoings: "Thou shall not run these streets/Thou shall not hit these clubs/Every night of the week lookin' for some groupie love/Thou shall respect your heart/Thou shall not play you hard/But I did/I was wrong and I'm hatin' it."
Lloyd's eerie vocals from the title track bring you right into his dark soul as he strives to hold onto his true love. Street Love ends a bonus remix of "You." Sampling from the 80's new wave hit, "True," Lloyd hooked up with Andre 3000 and Nas (working together for the first time in their careers) for this revamped version. It's a beautiful, smooth ending to an amazingly produced album, and Lloyd is definitely reaping the benefits from his musical partnerships.
Originally published @ http://www.collegeclub.com/article/view/3650
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