OCTOBER MUSIC...

Well, once again, the music industry leaves me underwhelmed... I mean, c'mon. Hanna Montana? 50 Cent vs. Kanye West? Puhleeeze.

One track that does stand out for me, though, is Jill Scott's Hate On Me. Jill Scott is an artist often mislabeled as, "Neo Soul." I say mislabeled because the label implies she doesn't have as much soul as Chaka Khan, or Aretha Franklin, simply because she's young - it says she couldn't express herself with the same amount of soul, simply because she's of a younger generation. Well, this track, and all of her tracks prove this notion to not only be wrong, but to be wrong to the point of offense.

While not my favorite tracks of Ms. Scott's, Hate On Me provides a thunpin' track, hot horns and steamin' vocals on a sensitive subject: haters. Haters are those who would rather dish negativity than celebrate the positivity. It is most specifically used in the hip hop community to refer to people who stand on the sideline and simply dog those who put themselves out there, artistically. Jill Scott is an artist who operates in a unique, soulful place, yet has yet to find the mainstream success as more, "marketable" artists. (She's a full-size woman, unlike some of the skinny girls we see in the mainstream.) I say, props to her.

Getting back to Kanye West, I was very disappointed to see the temper tantrums he's been throwing recently. But I was sickened to my stomach to hear his described as a musical genius, and even less impressed when he compared himself to Coca Cola - a product that's everywhere. Mr. West, your latest song, Stronger is a hit due to the quality of the song it samples. (Don't believe me? The hit of last summer, Bustah Rhymes' Touch It also drew from the same song.) Kanye West says when he, "wrote" Stronger, he imagined it opening the MTV Music Awards. Mr. West, you did not write this song. You rapped over the original work of another artist. GROW UP!

Speaking of which, you should really check out the original version of this song, by Daft Punk. It's called Better, Faster, Harder, Stronger and it is a great track.

Other tracks rockin' my iPod are: Don't Stop The Music and Shut Up & Drive by Rihanna, Gimme More by Britney Spears, Various Remixes of Coldplay songs and the soundtrack from the Broadway musical Wicked!.