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Many see Beyoncé as the entertainer who commands the stage in her sky-high stilettos bursting with confidence, but don’t get to see her as the human being who feels pain and nurses bloody feet after hours of rehearsals.
For an hour-and-a-half, this human side of Beyoncé is exposed through her HBO documentary, “Life Is But a Dream,” which is produced, directed and narrated by the pop star.
This documentary is not only a treat for any Beyoncé fan, but it is also a great watch for anyone interested in a compelling story about a girl from Houston, Texas who made her dream come true. The documentary includes clips of Beyoncé’s childhood home and memories, behind-the-scenes footage of the preparation for performances and recording studio sessions, personal moments with Jay-Z, and most importantly, a close-up of her daughter, Blue Ivy.
Between clips, Beyoncé tells her story through a candid sit-down interview with her hair up in braids and not a single spot of makeup on. She discusses why she dropped her dad as her manager, and the overwhelming pain caused by her first miscarriage.
Beyoncé expressed how she’s done pleasing others and is focusing on the artist she truly wants to be.
“Forget being cool; I’m going to be honest,” she said.
Beyoncé shows her honest human side through slipups at the recording studio and tension during rehearsals. I had to pause and rewind when I heard her first swear after her album preview for “4” at Columbia Records.
“I’m an artist, and I’m sensitive about my shit,” Beyoncé explained with relief after the executives raved about the album.
I didn’t expect someone with such a clean public image to swear in public – but after all, she is just a human like you or me. Beyoncé said she decided to pour every single human emotion – good or bad – into her most recent album and didn’t care if she sold one single record.
Throughout these shots of her in the studio and preparing for performances, she shuts down every argument against her talent and work ethic.
Beyoncé is truly the CEO of her brand and calls the shots on everything from her recording sessions to her sets on stage. The documentary is a sneak peek into the rigorous rehearsals in hotel lobbies and the enormous amount of stress that comes her way when thousands are scrutinizing her every move.
The most powerful and memorable moments of the documentary were the ones that focused on her family.
She said lessons from her father and mother helped her rise to the top, and her relationship with Jay-Z taught her how to be a woman. Beyoncé’s eyes then filled with tears as she described her relationship with God and how she could feel God’s love inside of her.
Beyoncé said her daughter Blue Ivy is the best miracle.
Through this documentary, Beyoncé shows she’s just a normal person doing what she loves to do – she laughs, she cries, she gets nervous just like everyone else. She truly opens up.
“Everything we worked for is right here,” Beyoncé said smiling to Jay-Z while sitting in front of a picturesque beach and sunset. “Life is but a dream.”
Brandon Koziol is a features correspondent for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact Brandon Koziol at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .



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Popular Music and Arts Festival Bonnaroo is making its way to Manchester Tennessee, June 13-16 for this year. Bonnaroo claims to be “Four of the best days ever” and is topped on 700 acres of beauty in Tennessee. There are over ten stages for the astonishing 150+ artists to perform on, in so many different genres of music. Not only is this a huge concert, the festival also includes over dozens of comedians. Many like to refer to this festival as our generations Woodstock. This festival is an overwhelming jumble of art to be enjoyed by all different groups of people.
Because this is a four day rendezvous, each ticket includes the price for the festival as well as a camping ticket, for RV’s as well as car camping. They have general admission campsites in a set section so it’s almost like a mini city for the weekend, with plenty of opportunity to make new friends. The campsites tend to also be about a 20-30 minute walk from the Main Venue, thus another chance to make new friends of new faces. Each campsite includes a POD which includes bathroom and sinks, and showers (for an additional fee.) If you’re feeling like being a big spender, you can purchase VIP tickets which includes closer location to the Main Venue, deluxe bathrooms, and even a VIP longue with internet and laptop access as well as gaming areas, phone charger stations, and live video of the performances going on during the day.
Other necessity stations or facilities you can find all over the festival include Art Installations (where you can check out the art work of the artists on the festival), Medical/Emergency Services, Shopping Stations, ATMs, telephones, food and drink venders, Info booths, a lost and found, and even clean and sober groups for people to meet and chat. There are endless amounts of activities to keep you busy at the festival so it never gets dull.
Bonnaroo is even disability friendly. They have an American Sign Language team available, assisting listening devices, open caption availability, services for blind patrons, disability service dogs, medical consideration tents, and much more. This festival has kept everyone possible in mind.
The Bonnaroo Department of Health made a list of safety tips to keep in mind during the festival.
1. Keep your friends in site. Never leave a friend behind. Sure, most of the South is extremely friendly but 700 acres is a lot of room for a friend to wander. Don’t lose them.
2. DRINK WATER! Lots of water. Stay hydrated. Make sure you drink ample amounts, more than you’d think you’ll need.
3. Wear hats, light clothing, and use plenty of sunshine. Self explanatory.
4. Substance abuse. Drugs and alcohol. e all know consumption is going to happen, but be careful about it. The Tennessee sun with a mixture of the drugs and alcohol will ruin your time.
Aaaaand the moment you’ve all been waiting for: The LINEUP! Here is the list of artists who will be performing at Bonnaroo:
Paul McCartney, Mumford and Sons, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bjork, Wilco, Pretty Lights, R. Kelly, Wu-Tang, Clan, Daniel Tosh, The National, The Lumineers, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Passion Pit, The XX, Kendrick Lamar, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, Of Monsters and Men, Soul Super Jam ft. Jim James with John Oats, Zigaboo Modeliste, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Ed Helms’ Bluegrass Situation Superjam with Special Guests, Nas, ZZ Top Beachhouse, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Cat Power, Ed Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes, A$AP Rocky, Jim James, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Tame Impala, Wolfgang Gartner, Glen Hansard, Gov’t Mule, Gaslight Anthem, Portugal the Man. Boys Noize, Billy Idol, Sam Bush & Del McCoury, Dwight Yoakam, Foals, Porter Robinson, Local Natives, Matt & Kim, Dirty Projectors
Trombone Shorty, John McClaughlin and The 4th Dimension, Noam Pikelny & Friends, Amadou & Marian, ALT-J, Father John Misty, Baroness, The Tallest Man on Earth, Walk the Moon, A-Trak, Earl Sweatshirt, The Vaccines, Paper Diamond, Holy Ghost!, Divine Fights, Mike Birbiglia, Purity Ring, Swans, Frank Turner, Big K.R.I.T, Allen Stone, AraabMuzic, Cults, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Fatoumata Diawara, Two Gallants, The Sheepdogs, Four Tet, Calexico, Japandroids, Death Grips
Conspirator, Wild Nothing, John Fullbright, Django Django, Haim, Killer Mike, Ariel’s Pink Haunted Grafitti, Action Bronson, Clock Work, Twenty I One I Pilots, Reptar, Diiv, Milo Greene, Lord Huron, Futurebirds, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Charli XCX, Jeff the Brotherhood, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, Sea Wolf, JD Mcpherson, Trixie Whitley Deap Vally, Patrick Watson, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, The Stepkids, Aoife O’Donovan, Bombino, Bernhoft, Matthew E. White
Contact Chelsey Milkovich at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .




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Songs about love, relationships and then of course the dreaded breakups are all over country radio. However, how do artists write these songs if they are fortunate to have not experienced heartbreak in their life? Love and Theft’s, Stephen Barker Liles, describes where he looks for inspirations for songwriting. “Anywhere. You have to try to find anywhere and everywhere because almost every song has been written, five times. You just have to find a way to bring more emotion out in it and make people relate to it more and find a way to do it differently then anyone else has ever done it, you know. So, so that's I think…that’s why if somebody just got broke up with you better try and go write with them right away because they’re going to have a lot of stuff on their heart. Because for me, I’ve never been broke up with, so for me I have no, I have to like figure out what other people feel and how they would feel unlike when it comes from a personal place, because those are the better songs.” said Liles. Love and Theft is a country duo band made up of Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson. Their latest single on country radio is “Runnin’ Out of Air.” Their certified Gold single “Angel Eyes” reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart and Country Aircheck. The duo will be joining Tim McGraw on the road this coming summer for his Two Lanes of Freedom Tour. Contact Jen Bellissimo at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .




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Here we are, another article about Girls. Usually we do a character’s power ranking by episode, but this time is a bit different. There was only two characters in this past episode, Hannah and the mysterious, angry, 42 year-old, recently separated Joshua. So instead, we’re going to bring you our evaluations on the two characters from the episode, Katy breaking down Hannah and Justin breaking down Joshua.
HANNAH
I love Hannah. I think she’s great character overall, and that’s my disclaimer here. No matter how weird or crazy or needy or she may be, I think that Hannah typically comes out on top in all of these situations she finds herself in. While I think this particular episode was strange, it was almost a watershed for Hannah.
So we see her confessing to Joshua that she is the one who is putting Grumpy’s trash in his trashcans. This after learning that she isn’t the first to coin “sexit” and getting into a huge argument with Ray. This isn’t exactly on track to be her episode by any stretch. After Joshua comes into the coffee shop to complain, Hannah decides to tell him the truth – and of course, this leads to some kind of relationship.
Hannah doesn’t just leave Joshua’s place, though. She goes in for the kill after just a few minutes, kissing Joshua, and then staying with him over the course of nearly two days. Rarely does Girls focus so squarely on one character, and it’s a huge moment for Hannah. She admits that she’s lonely, despite having a dinner party with her friends only last week. She pours all of her feelings out to a complete stranger, and you can tell just from watching how freeing it is for her. While she appears surrounded by all of these other strong characters, none of them fully comprehend what it is she’s going through. And, even more likely, none of them would understand it in a way that an outsider sometimes can.
When Hannah is done telling Joshua everything going through her head, she realizes that he hasn’t opened up to her. While she is visibly frustrated, she still stays the night, and wakes up the next day essentially new. It’s the fresh start that you know Hannah has been wanting for herself this whole time, and it comes as a relief to know that next week, she’ll be back on her feet. Plus, I’m so excited to see Adam again!
JOSHUA
Coduto’s disclaimer is pretty accurate, she idolizes, adores, and hopes to some day be Hannah (20-something, alone, out of work, and struggling in New York. She has big goals!!) There’s no denying that, and it’s one of the funniest things ever. Anyways, let’s talk “Don’t Call Me Josh” Joshua. Let’s get serious here, Lena Dunham just wanted to have sex with Patrick Wilson as many times as she could in one episode, that’s what this entire episode was all about. And, wow, did she have sex with him a lot. But before the intercourse was a serious issue at Grumpy’s as aforementioned by Katy; Joshua’s trash was being filled with garbage that was not his own. That’s something that never needs to happen, I feel your pain Joshua, and so he brings it to the attention of Grumpy manager/Hannah friend Ray, which is followed by a loud argument. Hannah, the one who is secretly dropping the trash off, goes to apologize to Joshua and of course what do they do? They have a sex fueled two days, with some steak and ping-pong in between.
Joshua is more or less the perfect man: successful doctor, recently single, nice house, and great at begging. I’ve never cared more about a character in this show then when Joshua begs Hannah to spend the night with him, something she insisted he did out of her own sick and twisted mind. Besides an odd quirk with his name, really don’t call him “Josh”, he seemed perfect up until Hannah got all emotional on him.
For the record, Joshua did not, as Hannah put it, “beg for her feelings to be shared.” He was kind and caring, sexually engaged with her, and even providing the best hospitality Hannah’s ever seen, but that does not mean that she needed to cry about how she really was just faking her whole “I don’t give a shit” attitude. That’s way too much pressure to put on a guy you’ve just recently been hooking up with, no matter how great they may have been. All I’m saying is that Joshua didn’t do anything wrong, it’s not his fault that Horvath is an emotionally unstable train wreck that can’t stop crashing into any guy that offers a sense of stability.
Quick prediction: Joshua’s role on this show isn’t done, Patrick is just too good-looking not to be back on this show. Coduto will not complain, I promise. She was drooling.
Contact Justin Rockhold at
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Contact Katy Coduto at
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A marriage between two spies never seems to go smoothly. Courtesy
of MCT Campus.




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It’s that time of year again! The snow’s starting to fall, the trees are going up, and Santa will soon be on his way. But perhaps the most essential element needed to get everyone in the Christmas spirit is the music.




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Last weekend when I was home, a discussion with my brother and dad gave me the idea to come up with thirty of the coolest male and female characters. My entire family shares my love for film but both my parents and brother know more than I do if you could believe that.




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If you ask anyone who knows me they will agree that I have a great love for Seth MacFarlane. Even if you have read my other stories you should know this! MacFarlane is one of the most talented voice actors of our time but what I feel sets him apart from others is his ability to banter with just himself and give specific voices to a number of characters. Below are not even half of the characters voiced by MacFarlane but I think these are his main ones. From what I can tell he really likes his characters being boarder-line alcoholics.
- Peter Griffin (Family Guy): “Sorry Meg. Daddy loves ya, but daddy also loves Star Trek, and in all fairness, Star Trek was here first.”
- Brian Griffin (Family Guy): “Lois, when you leave to go to the market I, I just don’t know what to do with myself but then when I hear you pulling in the driveway I realize you haven’t really been gone that long….”
- Glenn Quagmire (Family Guy): “Joe, don’t you dare or I’ll push you into traffic!”
- Stewie (Family Guy): “You can’t have pie without CHool whip!”
- Dr. Hartman (Family Guy): “Oh Peter’s fine he’s just really fat….”
- Carter Pewtersmith (Family Guy): “I’m sorry pumpkin you know we don’t negotiate with terrorists. Now have a good time at the prom.”
- Tom Tucker (Family Guy): “And up next, Diane’s weight!”
- Jake Tucker (Family Guy): “Maybe one day you can go up on me.”
- Seamus (Family Guy): “That’s what we call a manatee boys or in nautical slang: the sea cow.”
- God (Family Guy): “Karen…why is there a pen cap but no pen?!”
- Roger the Alien (American Dad): “Francine, husbands need time with people other than their wives because they are boring. I’ve been talking to you for twenty seconds and I’m already tired of you.”
- Stan Smith (American Dad): “You know they made four Free Willies? How’d that fat, salt-water fool let himself get caught four times?!”
- Greg (American Dad): “See I’m straight skinny but I’m gay fat…”
- Tim the Bear (The Cleveland Show): “Uh, seeing as I can eat you I seem to have the upper hand in this situation.”
- Ted: “I love you girls. Somewhere out there are four terrible fathers I wish I could thank for this great night!”
- Johann (Hellboy II: Rise of the Golden Army): “Dr. Manning…. suck my ectoplasmic.”
- Emperor Palpatine (Robot Chicken): “Oh I’m sorry I thought my Dark Lord of the Sith could protect a small thermal exhaust port that’s only two meters wide!”
- Santa Claus (Robot Chicken): “I know a lot of things, Larry, I know you have been on my naughty list since ’72, I know your company has been using my image to promote your product since 1931 and I know I haven’t seen a dime!”
Contact Andrea Ciriaco at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .




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Photo courtesy of MCT Campus




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There is no party without music. Music is the most essential part of any party, next to alcohol of course. But it can’t be just any old music. It’s gotta get the partygoers hype, up on their feet and ready to leave it all on the dance floor. So, for the next party you throw, consider adding these ten tracks to your playlist. These songs are guaranteed to have everyone up and moving, and really take the party to the next level.
1Do It-Mykko Montana- ATL rapper Mykko Montana broke out earlier this year with this song about a popular subject in rap right now; having sex with strippers. Montana sings about hittin’ it from all different positions before the monster hook comes. It’s damn near impossible not to sing along, and the beat will have everyone dancing. If you’re not off your feet by the halfway point of this song, there may be something seriously wrong with your ears.
2Birthday Song-2 Chainz ft. Kanye West- This Ye-assisted track from 2 Chainz solo debut album is the definition of a party starter. With it’s lush, crisp beat and lyrics about a “big-booty hoe”, this song was destined from day one to become a party-anthem.
3Whistle-Flo Rida- One of the catchiest songs of the year, this chilled out but highly danceable record is propelled by a whistled melody and guitar strums. It offers a break from Flo Rida’s usual sound, and that’s a good thing. This one will be in your had long after the party has come to an end.
4Bands A Make Her Dance (Remix)-Juicy J feat. Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz- The king of trippy himself, Three Six Mafia and Taylor Gang member Juicy J is no stranger to a good party song. This is his most successful yet, a strip-club banger with two stellar guest verses from Weezy and 2 Chainz. It’’s also responsible for bringing the term “ratchet” to the masses.
5My Type of Party (Remix)-Dom Kennedy ft. Tyga and Juicy J- The beat is dark and brooding, and sounds more like a trap-rap anthem than a party song. But just as the title suggest, it’s an unapologetic banger all about having a good time, which makes it a perfect addition to any party playlist. The addition of Tyga and Juicy J give the track the extra push it needed to land a spot on this list. And I promise you won’t be able to keep a straight face when Kennedy spits about his verse, which includes a reference to “Taco Tuesday on Thursday”.
6Young & Gettin It-Meek Mill ft. Kirko Bangz- The lead single off of Rick Ross’s second-in-command’s debut solo album, Young & Gettin It is probably the most obvious party song Meek Mill’s ever recorded (next to House Party, of course). The beat slaps, and for once auto-tune sounds good when Meek uses it. And the hook from Kirko Bangz is one his best features yet.
7Clique-Big Sean ft. Jay Z and Kanye West- This banger was brought to us courtesy of the G.O.O.D Music compilation album Cruel Summer, released just last month. Production is handled by Hit-Boy, the man who’s brought us tracks like “Niggas in Paris” and ASAP Rocky’s “Goldie”. It’s one of his strongest efforts yet, and the party is all but guaranteed to scream along to the songs ultra-catchy hook.
8Dance (Ass)- Big Sean- Over a year after it’s release, twerkers everywhere still go crazy when this comes on at a party. It’s Big Sean’s ode to everyones favorite part of the female anatomy, and it will without a doubt have every female in the place droppin’ it in no time.
9Take It Too The Head- DJ Khaled ft. Chris Brown, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj- If there’s one thing DJ Khaled can do, it’s craft a club banger. This one brings together some of hip-hops biggest names for a mid-tempo tribute to letting loose and going hard with second guessing yourself. Hey, that’s what partying is all about, right?
10Mercy- Kanye West ft. Pusha T, Big Sean, 2 Chainz- Since this song dropped, try and remember a party where it hasn’t been played at least once. With it’s reggae sample and bass-heavy beat, there’s not a song in the world better suited for a night of partying then this giant from the G.O.O.D Music crew.
Contact Anthony Hill at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .




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This week was Parks and Rec’s much anticipated (at least for me) Halloween episode. Why do I love it so much? Because of the beautiful Ann Perkins and her amazing Halloween costumes. This year she was an olympic athlete (they don’t say which one, but I assumed Gabby Douglas). It wasn’t quite as good as last year’s eggplant get up, but I still enjoyed it. Leslie, on the other hand, had a great costume. Rosie the Riveter was a perfect choice for her. Now, with that out of my system, onto the episode.
It opens with Diane visiting Ron at work (aww!).
“Hey, am I interrupting something important?”
“Impossible. I work for the government.”
She invites him to go trick-or-treating with her and her daughters and he reluctantly agrees. At least he’ll have Andy to keep him company.
Meanwhile, Leslie is house hunting for a place she can share with Ben (awww!). He could just move into her place, but as it is a “scary nightmare hoarder mess” they decide something new might be the best option. She ends up signing a lease for the first house we see, and celebrates with Ann by having an impromptu dance party. Things may not go as smoothly as she would like, though. Just as Ben is finished working on one campaign, he gets offered a job working for another.
Now it’s time for trick-or-treating. Things are going well at first, but Diane has to leave after she gets news that some kids pooped on the soccer field. Then, things immediately go south for Ron, as he doesn’t know how to deal with her daughters. At one point, Zoe breaks Ivy’s tiara. When she tells Ron about it, his solution is to break Zoe’s tiara, which results in them both crying.
Instead of a Halloween party like past season, this episode featured the department gathered together to watch the movie Death Canoe 4. Most were in costume, including Chris who dressed as his worst fear: an older version of himself. Brilliant. At this screening, Ben breaks the bad news about the campaign to Leslie, which makes her very upset. In order to cheer her up, Ann suggests they wait outside the bathroom and scare Tom when he walks out. Unfortunately, Jerry walks out first and they scare him so bad that he suffers a mild heart attack. I’m sorry, “fart attack.” He’s okay, but his bills will be very expensive. So in order to help him pay, Leslie organizes an auction.
At first, everything goes smoothly. There a lot of nice things available, including a “good table” built by Ron and a bunch of stuff from Ann’s old relationships. Then, Leslie gets another call from Ben about not coming back for a while. Ron also gets bad news. Diane confronts him about the trick-or-treating debacle. She apologizes for overreacting via voicemail, but when he doesn’t say sorry for how he acted with the girls, she storms out. Then, the unspeakable happened. Ron Swanson expressed emotion (awwww!).
He isn’t sad for long, though. After some thought, he goes over to Diane’s and explains himself. After bearing his soul (as well as flowers, chocolate and grout cleaner), she accepts his apology.
Because Ben won’t be back for a while, Leslie meets the realtor at the house to say she won’t be moving in anymore. When she leaves the room, Ben walks in and surprises Leslie.
“Hey! I didn’t know you were coming back here! What are you doing? Oh my God, what are you doing?” “Thinking about my future.”
And with that, he gets on one knee and proposes (AWWW!). What a perfect Halloween surprise. It was a great ending to a great episode. I absolutely cannot wait for this wedding!
Contact Samantha Rohrs at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .




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The golden-age of hip-hop is long gone. The days when rappers used the mic and headphones to tell a story are all but over, and have been replaced by pseudo-gangsters who would rather brag about money, cars, and women than tell a story that the average person can connect and identify with. Granted, this can make for some great music, as rapper’s such as Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, and even 2 Chainz have released solid efforts this year. But that’s an act that can get real stale real quick, and leave hip-hop fans hoping and praying for someone to come along and change the game. A savior for the modern rap scene, someone who is able to tell of struggles and hardships while still retaining a modern sound. Someone who we as people can connect with on a personal level. Enter Kendrick Lamar, the next great American rapper.
Growing up into Compton, California (the birthplace of West Coast Hip-Hop, a genre that Lamar has perfected) K.Dot was no stranger to violence, gangs, drugs, and death. However, he strayed from the darkness that his friends and family embraced, and managed to stay a good kid in the mad city of Compton. His debut studio album serves as a chronicle of life in that city, with songs that touch on themes such as prostitution, gang violence, love, sex, family, drugs, and the pressure to fit in.
The opening track makes for a perfect welcome to the journey Lamar is about to take us on, one that will captivate us for the next hour of the record. “Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter” opens with a prayer, before the dark synths and funky bassline kick in. Lamar takes us through the tale of his first meeting with Sherane at a house party, his recurring love interest. By the third verse he is on his way to her house, blinded by the thoughts in his head as she texts him nude pictures. So blinded he doesn’t notice the two men in black hoodies waiting for him across the street. The song ends with a voicemail left on Kendrick’s phone from his parents. While Lamar gets jumped, his mother and father rant on and on about how they need the car back ASAP, while making sure Kendrick knows to stop at the local Dominoes and bring back some pizza for his father.
Perhaps the greatest thing about this album is how cohesive it feels. The production credits are as diverse as they come, but the beats never feel out of place. The standout “Backseat Freestyle”, produced by Hit-Boy, is the perfect example of this. Theres no denying it’s a Hit-Boy beat, but it’s not your typical Hit-Boy fare. It’s tweaked to fit Lamar’s standard, not the other way around, which is a rarity in the rap game today. It’s also the only track where K.Dot hits us with the typical cocky rapper bravado. It’s reminiscent of Kanye West’s 2010 record “Power”, another song where the rapper makes outrageous claims over a perfectly fitting beat.
The album is surprisingly light on features, which is another step in the right direction. Too many rap records have a feature on every other song, which makes the album feel less like an album and more like a mixtape. The features here are few, but absolutely one of the best things about the album. On the albums strongest overall track, the perfect “Money Trees”, Lamar’s label mate and friend Jay Rock comes in and rips his verse apart, delivering a song-stealing performance and actually managing to outshine Lamar’s two quality verses. Drake adds the extra touch to the smooth as silk “Poetic Justice”, a Janet Jackson sampling slow jam for the ladies where Kendrick gets his Barry White on. Finally, on the albums glorious and triumphant closer, “Compton”, Kendrick brings in the legendary Dr. Dre for a love-letter to their hometown. Yes, Compton may be a mad city, but it’s home to these guys nonetheless.
The feature that is most noteworthy appears on “m.A.A.d city”. The song begins with a bass-heavy, angry sounding beat that is sure to have many a trunk slumping for the next few months. Kendrick sounds just as angry, spitting his best verse on the album before the beats fizzles into a classic West Coast beat straight out of the 80’s. Kendrick delivers another strong verse over this beat before giving the stage to another Compton native and man who got his start in the 80’s Compton rap scene, MC Eiht. The song is something truly special, linking the modern rap game to it’s 80’s counterpart flawlessly.
With this record, Kendrick Lamar has done something myself and many others thought wasn’t possible. He has saved modern hip-hop. If you only know the name because you pre-game to “Swimming Pools” before going out on Saturday night, please do yourself a favor and download this record. You’ll get “Swimming Pools”, (an extended version, actually) and you’ll also get eleven other tracks that just might blow your mind. And hey, if you don’t like what you hear, that’s ok. Lamar isn’t a rapper that’s going to please everyone (rapper Shyne called the album trash, but that’s just a washed-up MC trying to remain relevant through hatin’). But if you don’t like it, at least you can say you experienced a little bit of history. This is not just another rap album meant to generate as much money as possible. This is a man opening up to us about his struggle, telling his story through the best and most accessible medium in the world; music. This is an album that has revamped a genre that has lost it’s way over the past few years. Lamar has created history by breathing new life into music. It may not make the history books quite like Biggie, Tupac, and Eminem albums have, but believe that Kendrick Lamar is a name that belongs right up there with those greats.
Overall: 8/10
Download These Now: Money Trees, m.A.A.d city, Backseat Freestyle




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Sam Armstrong, sophomore sports administration major, finds CDs to be an inconvenience.
“iTunes is the easiest way I know how to get music,” Armstrong said. “I can buy music anytime and anywhere using my phone or on my computer.” With iTunes, Armstrong has the power to download an individual song or an entire album. He can then take his newly downloaded album and transfer them onto a blank CD-ROM for more tangibility.




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The Expert
Pokémon’s back for another two months of endless clicking on a video screen with “Pokémon Black and White Version 2.” I have been playing Pokémon since the first generation and have never gotten tired of it. The endless journey of starting a new chapter in a new region, choosing your starter Pokémon and collecting all eight gym badges. I played every Pokémon game in the series, and this one is pretty good compared.




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Everyone loves a good scary movie, right? Right. And with Halloween right around the corner, it just so happens to be everyone’s favorite time of year to enjoy a good one. So, here’s a list of the ten best movies to generate some good scares come October 31st.




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The Kent Stage will be host local and regional acts for “The Aliver Hall Fall Ball” this Friday.
The free, all-ages show opens its door at 6 p.m. and starts at 7 p.m.
Local jam band Aliver Hall is one of six bands performing Friday. Based in Kent and Akron, the Aliver Hall band-mates describe themselves as a classic rock band with a little bit of a harder edge to them.
“We definitely consider ourselves a rock band,” said lead guitarist Alex Hall. “We have some wicked guitar harmonies, and we harmonize the vocals. I would say we play harder rock but in a Led Zeppelin way.”
Jim Tauscher, guitarist and vocalist, graduated from Kent State in 2008. Hall is currently attending grad school at Kent State.
Coming into its third year as a band, Aliver Hall just performed its 50th show together.
“We make regular stops in Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown and Lima,” Tauscher said. “We have even gone to Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia and New York.”
Aliver Hall is also putting together a tour season to coincide with the release of its new album.
“We have been working on it for a while,” said Hall. “Once it’s done, we may look at a tour that takes us all over the place.”
Other bands joining Aliver Hall this Friday are Boogie Matrix, Winslow, Dave Hammer’s Power Supply, The Bees Trees and LAG. Local painter Justin Roberts will also attend, painting for a live audience.
Contact Connor Griffith at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .




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The queen of preteen love anthems known as Taylor Swift made her millions singing about breakups, makeups, new flames and past jerks. She seems like she’s got a firm grip on her love life, but a lot of her songs seem a bit unrealistic. We took her lyrics and brought them down to Earth.




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With the whirlwind of judges who have been replaced on American Idol, it seems no one is safe. We can’t even remember who was on season one at this point. So we created our own team of judges who we’d like to see up there making unknown singers’ dreams come true. Ryan Secrest, you should go ahead and make a few calls. You can thank us later, America.
Tom Jones: Nice vintage musical sound. Actually knows something about music because he was in the business.




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Supporters of both President Obama’s and Mitt Romney’s campaigns have posted playlists to Spotify to describe their time in the race. Here’s a breakdown of some of the songs that embody each candidate’s campaign.
President Obama’s List

“Keep Marchin’” by Raphael Saadiq — This peppy, upbeat song reminds us that we need to keep on moving through the hard times. Like the recession. See what they did there?

“I Got You” by Wilco — This song sends out the not-so-subtle message that President Obama is looking out for the citizens of the United States.

“Roll With the Changes” by REO Speedwagon — The key word in this song? “Change.” The platform President Obama ran on in 2008. Think it’ll do the same for him this year as it did then? REO Speedwagon seems to think so...

“The Best Thing About Me Is You” by Ricky Martin featuring Joss Stone — The song persuades you to say yes instead of no in reference to President Obama. The best thing about the president is the citizens that put him in office. Makes sense.

“Home” by Dierks Bentley — Bentley does a pretty decent job of saying how we all might disagree about various things but we still all have the same home (America, obviously). He also mentions how the “ride has been long” but we’re getting there. Very optimistic and perfect for a presidential campaign.
Mitt Romney’s Playlist

“Somebody Like You” by Keith Urban — The song’s chorus discusses “wanting to love someone like you.” Romney is desperately trying to connect with the American people by saying he wants to love us. It’s working.

“Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash — An American classic depicting falling into, well, a ring of fire. Romney has kind of done with that with the Republican nomination. He had the desire to get it and he did. Just like in the song.

“Somebody Told Me” by the Killers — One line of the song is “All I want to do is try.” The Romney camp is using the song to show how much he’s willing to do to make life better for Americans. You’ve got to admire that spirit.

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Willie Nelson — As cliché as it is, Romney and Republicans really believe that there is something better on the other side.

“All-American Girl” by Carrie Underwood — We’re all about America. And so is Romney.




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MTV’s annual Video Music Awards bring together some of the most charismatic and provocative stars in the business. From the vamped up Nikki Minaj to the charming Katy Perry, all came together in hope of taking home the coveted “moonman” award.
The night began with a statement-making performance of “Cockiness” by Rihanna. Her newest single quickly segued into the popular “We Found Love,” which jumpstarted the crowd. Rihanna later won the “moonman” for Video of the Year category, proving her place opening the show, was well earned.
Although Rihanna’s performance had the audience eating out of her hand, she didn’t hold a candle to the up-and-coming Frank Ocean. Once Ocean took to the stage with a moving rendition of his knockout single “Thinking of You,” the audience was transfixed. He tore right at their heartstrings, leaving them swooning and begging for more. Do yourself a favor, and watch his performance. Everyone will be talking about it tomorrow.
Get More: Frank Ocean, Thinkin Bout You (Live), Music, More Music Videos
The man, or more correctly the men, of the evening are the members of One Direction. Their first-time VMA performance sent the audience into a frenzy. The band sang their smash hit “One Thing,” though you would never know because the band was drowned out by the echoes of a thousand screaming girls.
Get More: One Direction, One Thing (Live), Music, More Music Videos
owever, if Rihanna, Frank Ocean and One Direction don’t speak to you, try Lil Wayne and 2Chainz. The duo stormed the stage with “Yuck” and “No Worries.” They owned every aspect and ended their performance with Wayne crowd surfing through the audience.
The VMAs also featured performances by Alicia Keys, P!nk and Green Day. Each of the artists commanded the stage and wowed the audience. All in all, the 2012 Video Music Awards were a host to today’s greatest stars and perhaps tomorrow’s newest stars.
Contact Grace Murray at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .




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This summer, the artist formerly known as Snoop Dogg grew out his dreads and transformed into Snoop Lion. A spiritual awakening in Jamaica made Snoop put down the guns, bitches, gin and juice in favor of a peace sign, Jamaican flag and weed pipe. We decided to predict some other rap names that might pop up this year.




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Spend any time by a pool this summer? Or in a car for a road trip? Then there is no doubt that you heard one of these songs and consequently they were stuck in your head for days on end — which is not necessarily a good thing. These are some of the songs that were overplayed this summer, and we hope will disappear as fall approaches.

“Wide Awake” by Katy Perry Like most songs released ts summer that made Ryan Seacrest’s Top 40, Perry’s song has a chorus that gets stuck in your head for days. It’s safe to say that Perry’s unusually mellow verses and chorus will make you wish you weren’t wide-awake.




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Shy, yodeling Oklahoma girl Carrie Underwood is just weeks away from releasing her fourth album. Underwood has come a long way from the quiet and innocent American Idol contestant.




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The music industry comes to a fever pitch this Saturday, April 21. Countless music lovers and collectors fill independent record stores in hopes of snatching over 200 unique releases on this celebratory day.




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Picture a rapper. It’s probably someone who’s flashy, raps about money, who only fellow rappers can comprehend, and sounds essentially the same in every song. Now throw that picture away and meet Youngstown’s up-and-coming rap artist, KeilyN.




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"Good Girls" by Cris Cab
This song proves white guys can rap. It’s a cute rap/love song!




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Big Stove. “It’s not just a name; it’s a whole appliance,” Michael Stover, junior applied communications major said.




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Ever since Lebron James uttered those famous words, the Akron and Canton area of this wonderful state had been looking for something they can brag about. The town should look no further than hip-hop performer Mitch McCurry.




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Photo Courtesy of MCT Campus. Jakob Dylan performs at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, Sunday, June 15, 2008.




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Plenty of big things are going on in the Kent music scene, and one player in that game is known to most as DJ Swerve.




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AMBER ROWE | DAILY KENT STATER
The Blue Treads, including guitarist Pete Crane and drummer Nick Rose, performed at Checkers-N-Trophies Saturday night.




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Maybe you heard their voices echo throughout the rotunda at Rosie’s. You might hear them as they burst into song outside Cartwright Hall before the drag show during Sex Week.
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