Whatever we feel about Timberlake (the Boondocks joke: Michael Jackson is not a genre of music comes to mind), this song goes.
Thank you Timbaland.
And this video! Man. Bill Simmons called this ‘the white people’s Hit Em Up’, and he wasn’t wrong. I mean, he got a straight Britney clone…
Enjoy!
Michael Jackson is still not a genre of music, but now that Justin Timberlake is a middle aged man (yeah I said it), this kid can definitely own the corner.
Bonus points for putting little MJ in his video.
Enjoy!
When I heard someone call this, ‘this year’s ‘Happy”, I tensed up.
But you know what? I don’t hate it.
(Just don’t overplay it guys.)
Enjoy!
By Sunday night, I’ll have already started my month long journey, so tomorrow I’ll be introspective.
Which means ‘the weekend’ song comes a day early.
And I spent alot of today contemplating what the most sinful (but not X rated) thing I could put up here tonight since it’s almost certainly going to be ‘above board’ posts for the next month.
But you know what? Really, I just feel like dancing.
(throwing on the wifebeater, crisp white jeans, and K-Swiss…)
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you I campaigned a little harder than normal when the opportunity to be in this video came up on my radar.
And I’m only half joking when I tell you the thought crossed my mind, if I would’ve booked it… ‘You’re singing along to Mike in one of his videos. They are characters, stories, living people who you would be equally hyped to work with, but you’re not topping this.’ Seriously. I’m having fun, but being in a Michael Jackson video? The word ‘retirement’ did flash through my mind for a second.
On the flip side of the coin, I also considered how long would be my ego be able to withstand the daily jokes and memes from those of you (and you know who you are) who would send me hourly clips of me jumping around and singing along and getting into a tickle fight with Timberlake. So from that angle, that certainly would have fast forwarded me to how I imagine the last chapter of my life: living in exile, working as a bartender/DJ at Marlon Brando’s Tahitian resort under the alias ‘Davis Samuels, married to a Filipino girl and raising a couple island kids, and biding my time until some friend of a friend goes on their honeymoon and recognizes me and lets everybody back in America know I’m actually still alive and healthy and I’d made a completely new life for myself.
So, all things considered, I guess it’s good I’m not in this video.
Enjoy!
The year is wrapping up pretty quick, let’s bang out all the ‘holiday classics’ before I give my final thoughts for 2013.
And don’t look at me like that, you know you love this one:
Have a good weekend!
Came out of my first network call back a little while ago. Had my full ‘TV Star’ confidence going, nailed the scene in one take…and now we move on. Not always possible and not everyone’s method, but it’s just the reality: even when you’re getting some ‘yes’s like I do, it’s still 98 percent rejections, with 97 percent of those being those you have absolutely no control over.
Back on the yes side though, my consigliere didn’t see any red flags, so I can informally announce I’ll be working with my first modeling agency. Yes, this tickles me every bit as much as it does you. Wasn’t part of the game plan at all, but hey, when opportunity knocks…
So the last song of the week is inspired by that news of course. Brighter days ahead. Have a good weekend!
I know your boy Justin Timberlake is hosting SNL this week and he’s got a hot record again so he’s in a nice spot to make another step up the ‘legend’ ladder. Justin is one of those handful of guys my hypercompetitive ass always keeps an eye on. Not that I could have (or want) his exact path, but we’re close enough in age and background (Midwestern/Southern mix) that I look at what he’s doing more than others. The biggest difference of course, is, you know, I’m actually black.
OK, OK, I kid, I kid. I’m not a hater like some. When Timberlake is on point (‘Cry Me a River’ and ‘Dick in a Box’ immediately come to mind), you can’t deny the skills/sense of style/comedic timing. I’ve seen and heard enough unflattering stories though too, to be a little wary.
Anyway I owe you a song to take you into the weekend. Not a joke I wrote, but this falls into the ‘Michael Jackson is not a genre of music’ category:
You know, this song reminds me of a story when
[Editor’s Note: Malik was distracting in the last 30 seconds of the song and got into a pop locking showdown with video Justin. He’ll be back with a new post Sunday night. Have a good weekend.]
Spent quite a bit of time this past week staring at the big screen. Let the awards season begin! Real quick wrap ups of three films I’ve seen the past week:
N Secure is a film about abusive relationships, set in the upper/middle class black community. The film buff in me thought this movie had a very ‘film festival’ feel; in fact some of the lead actors I’m certain I’ve seen headline other black indies. The Midwestern boy in me liked the Memphis locale, but the story could (and does) go down in every American city. The crowd I saw the film with seemed to enjoy it, which is what you need when you’re selling an indie.
The Social Network is of course going for a broader audience, but it’s still a really good movie. For all the well established names behind the scenes, I thought the strength of this film is in the casting. The biggest ‘name’ is Justin Timberlake, who’s as close to a villain as this film gets, and he does a good job. No way this film doesn’t get a Best Picture nom, especially now that the category is expanded to 10 choices.
Waiting for Superman is my film of the year to this point, fiction or non fiction. This documentary about the American public school system explains how complex the problem is while frustrating the hell out of you at the same time. I can’t remember the last time I felt so guilty/thankful for having good parents, teachers who took a personal interest in me, and a natural interest to learn. There’s a lot of kids in this country who have those three things and the system still finds a way to screw them over. I damn near joined a charity as soon as I got home (I’m not even exaggerating).
As I said in the opener, ‘awards season’ is ramping up so more reviews are almost certainly coming…
