The March Re-Up

Can you believe that it’s already the END of March? This year seems to be flying past a lot quicker than I think any of us are even remotely ready for. We’re starting a new monthly segment here at Harmonious Flame, called “The Re-Up,” re-capping what musical events/news/gossip has happened throughout the month. Here’s what we were sipping our tea about in the month of March:

1.       Kendrick Lamar

Talk about long-awaited….But I guess, greatness takes time. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've surely heard the all the hype surrounding Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, To Pimp A Butterfly. People have been clamoring for this kid’s follow-up to Good Kid, M.A.A.D City for a minute; and Butterfly doesn't disappoint. The album was originally slated for a 3/24 release, but was apparently leaked early by the record company, and instead ended up coming out on 3/16. It’s refreshing to hear a modern artist that has a voice, and isn't afraid to utilize it. His major-label debut showcased his ability to not only make a good album from front to back, but a concept album- which is not something that many artists can do in this day and age. He presented his own personal, unique view of what life was like as an adolescent, growing up in Compton, and the struggles of fighting against the very forces that attempt to derail you.  Butterfly, saw the same man, and his entrance into adulthood and what it’s like to be famous; and the choice between doing what you want to do, and what’s expected of you at that level. What stood out most to be about this album was the last track, “Mortal Man,” where he has a dream conversation with one of his heroes, 2Pac. It’s like a passing on of the torch from old school to new; poignant in the sense that the two discuss the issues that face Black community, and how we can move past it. Ironically, the same issues that 2Pac spoke of 2 decades ago haven’t changed in the slightest.

2. Robin Thicke

Oh how far the mighty have fallen….Remember only a mere 2 years ago, when Blurred Lines was pretty much blasting out of every car radio, every supermarket, and bodega from here to Timbuktu? At the time, Robin Thicke was at the top of his game; with a gorgeous wife in Paula Patton, and working with hit-maker, Pharrell Williams, in what was arguably, the biggest song of Summer 2013. Then, through what can only be considered as “a series of unfortunate events,” he suddenly became “Public Enemy #1.” How did this happen, you may ask? Let’s re-cap, shall we?

First of all, he sued Marvin Gaye’s  family in an ill- fated preemptive attempt to “prevent” them from ever suing him over what was a blatant sample from Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up” that was used in Blurred Lines. Then, he systematically destroyed his marriage to Paula Patton in a series of 2 events. First, there was “Miley-Gate,”which involved Miley Cyrus (who is almost half Thicke’s age) grinding all up on him at the 2013 VMA’s. Can you imagine what type of humiliation that must have been for poor Paula? Then, if that wasn’t enough, the straw that broke the camel’s back was “the picture seen round the world,” of Thicke standing with a groupie, obviously grabbing her…um….well…assets. I guess after the picture scandal, Paula finally said “Enough is Enough,” and filed for divorce. Keep in mind, the two of them had been together since high school. To add insult to injury, Thicke releases an album that is dedicated to the sole purpose of getting his woman back. Any guesses as to what he named it?….Yup, that’s right, he named it “Paula.” The album sold something like 270 copies worldwide…Ok maybe that’s a slight over-exaggeration, but the numbers were dreadfully dismal. It was at least in the Top 10 of worst albums ever sold. To put icing on the cake, Thicke actually lost the suit that he initiated in the first place, owing whopping 7.8 million to the family of Marvin Gaye. I almost feel bad for the dude…..Well, almost….

3. Empire Finale

Well, everybody and their momma’s uncle watched the finale of Empire, and Twitter-verse was all ablaze for the next few days afterwards, under the hashtag, #EmpireFinale. Everybody was talking about it around the water cooler the next day. If you didn’t watch it, but got on Social Media afterwards, my condolences, cause I’m sure there were all kinds of spoilers. It was hard to imagine a finale that could actually top the rest of their regular season episodes, but they did just that. The 2-part episode has already broken records for being the “Highest Rated Season 1 Finale in Nearly A Decade,” with over 21 million views. Keep in mind that this was a mid-season show, that only premiered in January, and in a little over 2 months, it is already one of the top-rated (if not the top) shows on television. I can’t wait to see what’s gonna happen next season…Whenever that may be, best believe that I will be watching.

And there we have it….That’s March, in a nutshell. What is your take on the stories above? Is Kendrick the best thing that’s happened to Hip-Hop in this day and age? Do you agree with the Blurred Lines Settlement? Will you be watching Empire next season? Let me know by sounding off in the comments below, or join the conversation on Twitter at #TheReUp…