It's that time of year again, when I do a year in review blog post
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1) My personal life
I have written so much on my personal life, that I'm not going to repeat them all here. Those who are curious can always click on the dated links on the side.
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But one thing that is different this December from the last 4 Decembers was that this time, I'm NOT working at Macy's this holiday season!
Last year, I was finishing the semester at UHM, working as a substitute teacher AND starting my time as a holiday hire at Macy's ---- ALL AT THE SAME TIME! Burnout!
Last year, I also worked shifts that ended 2am (yes, 2am). And yes there were people shopping after midnight, even bringing their kids (yes, even after midnight).
Needless to say, it was exhausting, to the point where I got sick after Christmas. That illness (while kept me out of New Year's celebrations - :( times a million ) also had its blessing in that I finally got some rest after months of non-stop business!
So this year, I decided not to work at Macy's this year, and just focus on finishing this semester at UHM and take the last available shifts as a substitute teacher. While the downside to that is that I have 3 weeks of no income opportunities, I get some badly needed rest!
One more thing, I really miss being the Macy's worker with the Santa hat this year!
For those who didn't know me 3 years ago (or weren't connected on social media back then), then this link will teach you the Legend of The Santa Hat at Macys.
I also regret not being able to show off this Santa hat at Macy's this year!
Pablo Wegesend's photo
The Green UH Santa hat
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Also, this past year was my 2nd year as a student in the Library and Information Science (LIS) student at UHM.
I could graduate this coming semester, but I'll extend my time to take a summer class in Books & Media for Young Adults (I really want this class) and to be able to do 2 internships.
The first 2 years were just taking classes about the library profession. This year is about applying that knowledge for real .....................as an intern.
I'll announce where for facebook & LinkedIn followers tomorrow!
Also, for Halloween, I had the green dress shirt and green Afro!
Pablo Wegesend's photo
I also got tickets for "Heroes & Villains" Halloween party at Hyatt Regency Waikiki. The organizers were great at promoting the event, but were unprepared for the crowds waiting outside. AT one point, they just said "we can't let any more people in", waited for those waiting outside to leave, then allowed people to come in!
It better not be like that for the New Year's party at Kakaako!
The song was LOVED by EVERYONE! Children, teenagers, college students, old people all danced to this song!
It was an international hit, with dancing flash mobs dancing from all corners of the globe.
Last year, I said Bruno Mars was he next King of Pop. While he had a GREAT Super Bowl halftime show, I think he's got competition for the throne from Pharell. That guy can do it all - produce, dance, sing, rap, whatevers!
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Of course, you can't have another year without hits from Mr WorldWide ........ Pitbull!
Towards the end of last year, he released "Timber", his song with Kesha, which became a hit in the early months of this year.
Pitbull was just getting started. He collaborated with GRL for "Wild Wild Love"
Then Mr WorldWide made The Official Song for this year's most popular sporting event...........The World Cup!
Being that the World Cup was in Brazil, the official song had to have some Latin flavor. So it Pitbull (world's most popular Latino rapper) with actress/singer J.Lo and ..................Brazil's ownClaudia Leitte.
But Pitbull's not done, he ended this year with a New Year's celebration song "Time of Our Lives" featuring Ne-Yo
The video starts with the end of 1999, prepping for 2000. This was before Pitbull became a star, so the video reminisced about the time when Pitbull was still living in the barrios of Miami, when he was still struggling to pay the bills and couldn't afford to party at the elegant nightclubs that now play his songs!
But even in tough times, Pitbull reminded us
This for anybody going through tough times Believe me, been there, done that But everyday above ground is a great day, remember that
Pitbull w/Ne-Yo
"Time of Our Lives"
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Australia's Iggy Azalea went from underground to mega-star this year.
Of course, we all know that "Fancy" song (w/Charli XCX)
We also had "Black Widow" (w/ Rita Ora), as well as songs with TI, Ariana Grande, J. Lo and more
However, with all success comes jealousy, made even larger due to her being of European ancestry. So another rounds of cries of "it's another Elvis, stealing our music". It's like any "white" rapper who has a hit (even a minor hit) is accussed of being the next Elvis to outshine "black" artists! I wish those wolf-criers would STFU already! Iggy isn't taking away success from black artists, she just made songs that people like.
Lesser known artist Azealia Banks was on the attack, whining about "cultural appropriation" and Iggy stealing her "shine" (as if she was entitled to popularity)
Iggy tells it like it is with this
Take that Azealia Banks!
Q-Tip also stereotyped Iggy with his assumptions that a suburban "white" girl hasn't done her research on her own genre. Then he tweeted the whole history of hip-hop to Iggy as if she was some 12 year old!
Here is her classic response
AMEN to THAT!
Though if Azelia Banks & Q-Tip want a history lesson, they could learn from Dr Dre who was making hits when Beastie Boys, House of Pain and Vanilla Ice all had mainstream radio play! Did Dr Dre whine about "cultural appropriation"? No! He kept making hit records, kept introducing new artists (ie Snoop, Dogg Pound, Nate Dogg, etc), started several rap labels and ........................he found his own white rapper to mentor! (that would be Eminem)
Or they could rev-visit the history of T.I., who was making hit records when Eminem, Paul Wall & Bubba Sparks all had mainstream radio play! Did T.I. whine about "cultural appropriation"? No! He kept making hit records, became "King of the South", and .he found his own white rapper to mentor! (Iggy)
Why can't Azelia Banks just STFU about "cultural appropriations", start MAKING hit records, be the example where even white rappers have to look up to her?
Though it would be funny if Iggy goes on stage and rap's W.C. diss of Q-Tip! (W.C. fans would know what I'm talking about)
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Last few years, people wondered if Lil Jon was done making hits. Nope!
His comeback song was "Turn Down for What", with its crunk beats and crazy video
(and check for the remix with JuicyJ, 2 Chainz & French Montana
he also had a hit with Tyga, yelling "bend over touch your knees with your elbows". But the video didn't show people trying that! :( It would've been classic if it did!
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Other hip-hop hits
Juicy J, Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign all came together for the theme song of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Big Sean had the song with E-40, with the title ........... well, you can find it! The beat to the song is irresistible, even if the title is very explicit!
Omarion came back, this time with Chris Brown and Jhene Aiko on "Post to Be". Aiko shined the most on this song, But the most important verses on the song, where Omarion and Brown sang
But I know that she your girl
She chose up, are you mad, or nah? (Bruh!)Bruh don't be mad about it, these chicks be for everybody
hey, sharing is caring
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And while Azelia Banks was whining about "cultural appropriation" (as if Iggy brings in a flood of Euro-Australians to take over rap), Aloee Blacc succeeded in a mostly "white" alternative music world.
Late last year, Aloe Blacc worked with Avicii with "Wake me Up"
But this year, Aloe Blacc was THE MAN! His song appeared in "Beats by Dre" ads with mega-start athletes like Richard Sherman, Kevin Garnett, Colin Kapernick and Ces Fabregas! He was THE MAN!
Ariana Grande was the new princess of pop this year. Last year, she had her hit "The Way" which featured the sounds from Big Punisher's "Still Not a Player". This year she had several hits with "Problem" (featuring Iggy) and "Love me Harder" (w/The Weeknd, who sounds like Chris Brown)
Of course, you can't talk about 2014 without talking about Taylor Swift. This year, she decided to take a break from country roots and go into pop full-time. (She'll probably dabble into country again in the near future, so all you whiners yelling "sellout" should just chill)
Tinashe "2 On" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s7TCuCpB5c
(note: i remember hearing this in the club right after Cassie's "Me and U", those songs are perfect when played back-to-back)
Lorde, known for last year's "Royals", had this follow-up "Tennis Courts"
people onced said let's settle it in the b-ball courts or the football field, Lorde will settle in the tennis courts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3CyuxqH8e0
Chainsmokers had their stupid "Selfie" song, but they had a classic with "I Wanna Be Like Kanye", which was better than anything Kanye West did the last few years.
(remember seeing the video and thinking "the singer is Asian? She sounds European", and later in the video, we see the real singer on stage, who is European)
Not a major alternative fan, but there's a few alternative stuff that I like.
Phantogram had their hit "Fall in Love", while a love songs played on alternative rock stations, has a beat that reminds of the sounds for New York gangsta rap groups Mobb Deep, Dipset or Wu Tang Clan
(yep, I could imagine Mobb Deep, Dipset or Wu Tang rapping along to the beat)
Phantogram also has a smoother song that I really liked, but didn't get mainstream radio attention. That would be "CPU 2.0" with Big Boi (of Outkast fame) and Sade.
That song was about loving someone on a computer screen.........which makes it the modern verison of Zapp's future prediction 80's hit "Computer Love"
I dont listen to heavy metal as much as I used to! With so much on my mind, I don't really keep my ear to the underground like I did when I was a teenager.
But I was really happy Mastodon defied the stereotype of heavy metal being too serious.
Back in the 80's, metal videos had party videos with girls dancing. But with the comings of grunge, trash metal and nu metal, the heavy metal genre has gotten a reputation of being too serious. Yeah, I know Andrew W.K. had his party songs a decade ago ....... I loved it..........but it wasn't enough.
This year, Mastodon, who is from Atlanta, highlighted another Southern craze in their videos........... twerking!
Yep, a metal band FINALLY had girls twerking.
And it was controversial .............for something that has been common in hip-hop videos for at least a decade.
Here's an article where one of the twerk dancers in the video defend Mastodon against the Radical Feminists and other politically correct morality chumps!
Whereas Bod Geldof was trying to guilt other British artists into doing charity songs for Africa, many Africans standing up to Geldof patronizing ways.
Here is my facebook post on that issue
and a comment I added to this
One of the songs mentioned is a collaboration of various African artists, titled "Africa Stop Ebola".
Hawaii radio stations play so much Hawaii reggae songs that when I heard Magic's "Rude" I thought it was just another song from local reggae band. Then to find out the band is from Canada? And the singer looked like this?
I got to close this section of my blog post with Weird Al Yankovic, the man who outlasted so many artists he parodied over the decades. Even with so many amateurs doing parodies, the King of Musical Parodies still shine.
