Photos: R. Kelly Performs at The Forum in Los Angeles

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R. Kelly perfomring at The Forum in Los Angeles on October 10th, 2015 (Gibson Dintersmith/Roman's Rap-Up).

Saturday night’s show at The Forum in Los Angeles started with a great set from Demetria McKinney, and only got better from there. Opening-act Tyrese lit up the arena when he brought out the legendary Too $hort, proving to be a difficult act to follow, but R. Kelly was up to the challenge. As soon as he entered the stage, the entire 8,000 plus crowd in attendance, which had previously been seated, rose to their feet, many starstruck by Kelly’s presence. With a mix of both newer and older music, he was able to retain the enthusiasm of the crowd throughout his entire set. It was definitely not a show to miss, and the epicness of his performance was obvious from the crowd’s reaction. 

See photos from the show below:

Album Review: Hip-Hop Meets Caribbean on R. City's Infectious Debut "What Dreams Are Made Of"

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"What Dreams Are Made Of" album cover (RCA Records). 

R. City has topped the charts recently with their hit “Locked Away” featuring Maroon 5-singer Adam Levine. The rappers include the hit on their new album, What Dreams Are Made Of, which was released October 9th on Kemosabe/RCA Records. The duo began as writers, creating hits such as Rihanna’s “Pour it Up’ and Miley Cyrus’s “We Can’t Stop,” and have now transitioned into full fledged artists. R. City raps with a Bob Marley reggae sound twist. The rest of their album strays from the pop sound of “Locked Away” and connects to the rap essence of R. City with a few notable features such as Akon. Akon shares a sound similar to R. City in the fact that both use smoothness to their advantage as apposed to straight up raw rap lyrics. 

Their song, “Live by the Gun,” is one of the more intense songs on the album. Akon begins with the foreboding lyrics, “You live by the gun, die by the gun.” The lyrics explain the conditions of the ghetto and slums where rappers like Akon and R. City grew up. There’s a catchy backbeat incorporated into verses about different people and their unfortunate stories of growing up in the ghetto. After the repetitive phrase, “You live by the gun, die by the gun,” Akon adds, “You kinda had that coming.” Originally, a listener gets the typical street vibe from the rap. However, Akon and R. City create a sharp twist by criticizing the lifestyle. As rappers who grew up in similar circumstances, it comes as a notable shock. They explain that death is the result of a street lifestyle instead of commending its intensity, as many rappers seem to do. “Live by the Gun” is almost a plea for social change in these parts of cities where atrocities such as youth deaths occur due to drug trafficking and unnecessary violence. It is important to recognize the significance when rappers create a social critique from an area in which they are familiar.

R. City’s hype and ego song off the album is certainly “Broadway.” Much like Drake’s raps encouraging his success and career, R. City brags about their development as rappers in comparison to where they started. They sing, “We’re broad, we’re broad, we’re broader than Broadway.” One of their verses states, “Never let my people down, them non believers, they believe us now. I'm just a common nig-- with a dream who's standing tall enough for y'all to see.” R. City also reflects on their past including the humble lifestyle of their past jobs. “Broadway” is an incredible contrast to “Live by the Gun” as it demonstrates R. City’s successful escape from lives of gangsters. It explains perseverance and determination in order to conquer one’s goals no matter the level of impossibility. This is definitely R. City’s self-declaration song; pop music’s current comparable version is Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” currently on the charts.  

R. City’s What Dreams Are Made Of is exploding off of their recent success with “Locked Away.” However, that hit with Levine is not the limit of R. City’s ability. In theme with the title, What Dreams Are Made Of, R. City certainly seems to be living their dreams with hopes of climbing higher. Hip-hop and rap fans can expect to see more of R. City hits and less of behind-the-scenes work as previously demonstrated.

Album Review: Selena Gomez Bares All & Shows Mature Side on "Revival"

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Selena Gomez has grown up. If that wasn’t evident from her recent singles, “Good for You” and “Same Old Love,” Gomez’s album release of Revival cements the singer’s plummet into the life of a grown woman. The album cover itself argues this message, as it is Gomez posed completely naked. The album includes “Good for You” and “Same Old Love” as well as twelve other sexual, empowering tracks that create a Beyoncé-like twist to Gomez. There is a combination of fast and slow paced songs, but the general tone is pop-infused backbeats with playful lyrics. 

Gomez’s first stand out track on the album is “Revival.” It begins with a monologue from Gomez herself, stating, “I dive into the future, but I am blinded by the sun. I am reborn in every moment, so who knows what I’ll become.”  The song’s message is exactly what its title states: Gomez’s revival. Whether she means literally due to her hiatus from music back in 2013 that fans now know was due to her lupus diagnosis, or figuratively as a pick-me-up call to action, Gomez demonstrates a desire to continue her journey. It is imminent that this song begins the album, as it sets the tone for the remaining tracks.

Attention to the other side of Gomez’s album, the sexually charged and the intimate, must be noted. “Body Heat” is one song that includes a Latin-sounding backbeat all about seducing a guy. “All I need, all I need is your body heat right next to me.” Furthermore, Gomez states, “My red lips have found a new obsession.” This is certainly a song to look out for on the club scene because the beat makes for dance-oriented music while the lyrics are fun and free.

“Me and My Girls” is another more promiscuous song that Gomez accomplishes off the album. It’s a powerful combination of a complimentary ode to her friends as well as a tease to men. “I know we’re making you thirsty, you want us all in the worst way, but you don’t understand, I don’t need a man, me and my girls.” This is certainly a track that any girl friend group can blast getting ready to go out or in any social setting. It’s a declaration for love of friends even if men are tempting; “I’m going home with who I came with, and who I came with’s not you.” It screams G.N.O. and also infuses Latin-sounding beats with the saxophone in the background. 

As much as the album includes fun songs such as “Me and My Girls” and “Body Heat,” Gomez still keeps the theme of empowerment alive with “Rise.” The lyrics are about standing up against one’s struggles with inner strength. The chorus repeats the phrase, “You can rise.” With a choral accompaniment in the background, it sounds as if a fleet of people is encouraging the listener to rise. The effect is powerful. Gomez becomes a supporter of her fans through “Rise,” a tool that demonstrates a successful conversation between musician and listener. Musicians have the ability to convey messages, both positive and negative, and Gomez takes advantage of promoting female empowerment in addition to feminine sexuality.

Gomez has beautifully transitioned from a Disney tween star to a gorgeous female role model in Hollywood. Her album, Revival, attains many qualities of other successful female musicians of this era. Her pop sound from previous albums still resonates, but Gomez accomplishes conveying the two important sides of what it means to be a modern-day female: sexuality and strength.

Selena Gomez Announces 2016 "Revival" Tour

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(Interscope Records)

New album, new tour- things are looking good for former Disney star Selena Gomez.

The "Good For You" singer just announced that she is embarking on a 41 city U.S. & Canada tour in May of 2016. Tickets go on sale October 17th at Ticketmaster.

See if Selena is coming to a city near you below:

May 6 Las Vega, NV - Mandalay Bay

May 8 Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center

May 10 Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Arena

May 11 San Jose, CA - SAP Center

May 13 Seattle, WA - Key Arena

May 14 Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena

May 16 Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place

May 17 Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome

May 19 Saskatoon, SK -SaskTel Centre

May 20 Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre

May 22 Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre

May 23 London, ON - Budweiser Gardens

May 25 Ottawa, ON - Canadian Tire Centre

May 26 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre

May 28 Boston, MA - TD Garden

May 29 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun

June 1 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center

June 2 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center

June 4 Washington, D.C. - Verizon Center

June 5 Cincinnati, OH - US Bank Arena

June 7 Charlotte, NC - Time Warner

June 9 Atlanta, GA - Phillips Arena

June 10 Orlando, FL - Amway Center

June 11 Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena

June 14 New Orleans, LA - Smoothie King Center

June 15 Houston, TX - Toyota Center

June 17 Austin, TX - Frank Erwin

June 18 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center

June 19 Tulsa, OK - BOK Center

June 21 Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena

June 22 Louisville, KY - KFC Yum Center

June 24 Detroit, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills

June 25 Chicago, IL - United Center

June 26 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center

June 28 Minneapolis, MN- Xcel Energy Center

June 29 Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest

July 1 Kansas City, MO- Sprint Center

July 2 Denver, CO- Pepsi Center

July 5 Phoenix, AZ- Talking Stick Resort Arena

July 6 San Diego, CA- Valley View Casino Center

July 8 Los Angeles, CA- Staples Center

Concert Review: Boston Calling Music Festival Returns for Historic Fall Edition

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Hozier played Day 3 at Boston Calling Music Festival on September 27th, 2015 (Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up). 

Boston Calling Music Festival was held for its third year this past weekend at Boston City Hall. The weather was nothing short of festival perfection for its biannual autumn 2015 lineup. Though Government Center station is under construction right next to the festival site, the two stages and the City Hall backdrop still nicely framed the enclosed location. 

Boston Calling outdid itself this year in relation to the atmosphere day-to-night. JetBlue made flower crowns with real flora in front of its customers, a beer garden nestled under rows of trees, and lawn games decorated patches of grass near the back of the venue. KIND handed out granola bars as well as flowers to passing festivalgoers. Bubbles floated through the crowd from a machine tucked in a corner of City Hall. Stands, such as Tasty Burger, and Wagamama, kept customers satisfied with quality-made food. During the nighttime, multicolored lights lit up the outdoor sections of City Hall and string of lights hung from trees. The entire atmosphere was extremely enjoyable and laidback – one could feel the happy vibe ebbing throughout the audience. 

Day 1 & 2: 

Friday’s notable performance was Of Monsters and Men – an act that is familiar with Boston Calling due to their performance at Boston Calling Spring 2013. Their performance this fall included their hit, “Little Talks,” that certainly pleased the first-night crowd.

Highlights from Saturday began as the sun started to set. Walk the Moon, Chromeo, and Chvrches all left notable impacts on the growing crowd. alt-J headlined the festival Saturday night with a trippy light show seen through clouds of puffed smoke in the audience. 

Walk the Moon, known for their recent hit “Shut Up and Dance,” set a lighthearted mood for Saturday evening. Lion King’s “Circle of Life” was the band’s entrance song; lead singer Nicholas Petricca emerged with a recognizable hot pink Mohawk. Blue beach balls floated through the crowd. Part way through the set, Petricca commented, “I love Boston people. They’re so sassy.”

The band was an enjoyable transition into Chromeo’s high-energy funk set. The duo turned up the party atmosphere in a now almost-full Boston Calling crowd. Audience members closer to the stage held blue light sticks that ferociously bounced to the beat. Now that the sun had completely set, the lighting and fog machines amped up Chromeo’s set. 

Chvrches followed Chromeo, and their music attained a more electronic/pop rock sound. Their lead singer, Lauren Mayberry, rocked a cute and quirky vibe relative to the lead singer of Florence + The Machine. Mayberry told the audience that the band had not performed in Boston since before their first album came out, so their Boston Calling performance held significance in being back in the city. They performed a combination of songs from their two albums The Bones of What You Believe and Every Open Eye including “Clearest Blue” and “The Mother We Share.” 

alt-J rounded out the Saturday lineup with their headline performance. Their indie rock vibe complimented this fall’s artists for the festival. The energy was high as the crowd filled both sections in front of the stages. alt-J played a favorite, “Fitzpleasure,” as well as others from their most recent album This is All Yours. Though Saturday’s performers were memorable, Sunday’s lineup certainly stole the show for the whole weekend.

Day 3:

Nate Ruess performed Sunday evening. Ruess, known as a member of the band fun, began the string of Sunday’s highlights. Ruess sang multiple notable fun songs including “Some Nights,” “We Are Young,” and “Carry On.” In addition, he performed his hit with Pink, “Give Me a Reason.” Recognizable song after recognizable song created a satisfied audience that enjoyed Ruess’s identifiable, high-pitched voice. Ruess sang in front of a colorful background that promoted his first solo album, Great Romantic, which came out this past summer. This solo album included the hit “Nothing Without Love” that Ruess performed last night. It was a strong opening evening performance.

Hozier was Boston Calling’s strongest performance the entire weekend. The Irish native sang from his 2015 album, Hozier, including the well-known hit “Take Me to Church” that concluded his set. In addition, “Work Song” and “Jackie and Wilson” were strong performances. Hozier’s electric guitar skills and deep, rich vocal sound create his successful musical identity. He even mastered two completely different genre covers: The Beatles’s “Blackbird” and Ariana Grande’s “Problem.” Both were arguably better than the originals. The crowd seemed to cheer loudest for Hozier as he was certainly one of the biggest stars of the weekend. 

Alabama Shakes headlined after Hozier. The band’s soulful rock sound filled the festival area. Their lead singer, Brittany Howard, is breaking American rock band stereotypes as a black woman who can rock harder than many male lead singers on the charts right now. Back up singers and eclectic band members filled out her sound. “Dunes,” from their new album, Sound and Color, is one of their newer songs; it reflects the vibe of the band’s music. Its soulful yet edgy rhythm is catchy and enjoyable. Alabama Shakes perfectly ended the laidback Boston Calling festival, as concertgoers now look forward to the release of Spring 2016’s lineup in the coming months.