Eminem - "Love The Way You Lie" Video

We don't do too much rap or hip hop on this little corner of the web; however, this zesty bit from the preeminent white-boy rapper, Eminem, is interesting from multiple angles -- musically, visually, lyrically firey (but not personally, for me at least). Production intensity and (presumably) casting costs are WAY up on this Joseph Kahn directed video, featuring actor Dominic Monaghan and the ever-lusty Megan Fox as violent, tumultuous sex partners, and the oft-abused Rihanna on chorus vocals. I have listened to some, not all, of the Recovery album and am genuinely impressed with the content. It's not one of those albums you put on before bed or on a lazy Sunday afternoon, unless you like dreaming of fire and domestic violence, but it could cater well to the "get psyched" before hitting the gym crowd. If you're historically not a fan, have a listen, appreciate the lyrical flow and the heavy beat drop, and hear the voice in your head say "that's so real, yo."

Lady Sovereign – Jigsaw (2009)

What’s happenin’ Quickcrit gang? It’s been a slow 09’ for me so far musically, but luckily you guys and gals have been hookin it up with awesome articles, and I have been content listening to your featured artists. But recently I heard an awesome song and had to pick up the album. The artist is the 5 ft 1 inch teenage female rapper from North London Lady Sovereign. I first heard of her when Jay Z signed her to Def Jam, but I never listened to the single “Love Me or Hate Me”. Her latest album is “Jigsaw”, and it’s pretty good. I’m in love with the song “I Got You Dancing”. She has the total Santogold vibe where she’s rappin, but the songs take on a more alternative rock feel, especially in the track “Jigsaw”, which I also really like. However, I feel her youth definitely shows in that the work is not super polished, and some of the songs end up sounding the same. Like they were made strictly as marketing tools, hits for the radio rotation, see “So Human” and “Let’s Be Mates”. But the girl does have talent and I’m definitely interested as to see what comes next from the dirty mouthed self described “pixie with passion.”