Miami Music

What is a good night out at a cub without your Top 100 Hits? It seems as though Mansion nightclub, in Miami believes there is no other music besides commercial music. According to Miami New Times, the nightclub recently stopped DJ Dennis Ferrer during his set for not playing music that was "commercial enough." The funny thing is that the DJ Dennis Ferrer is a relatively commercial DJ.

There are so many things wrong with commercial music that it would take years to get through the list. One of the main issues surrounding mainstream garbage is that it lacks substance. I've noticed that some of my favorite songs have never been played on the radio (in California). If you turn to any hip hop, R&B, Pop related station you are guaranteed to be bombarded with every Rihanna song, all of Adele's latest songs, some local artist, and oh! maybe they will mix in a throwback jam, but only if it is a good day. It is mind numbing how the same artists will be singing on four different stations. Would it really hurt to play a song that few people have heard before?

People like Adele and Drake rose to fame because they were relatively unknown and made songs that people liked. However, it seems that once these artists become famous their songs are played day and night, allowing the charm their music once carried to slowly wash away.

Nightclubs are meant to get people to dance and what better way to get up and dance than with 'We Found Love'? It is understandable why mansion would only want commercial music since they attract a certain clientele that only likes to dance to commercial music. However, playing underground songs every once in a while may be good for the mind.

The Nine Mile Music Festival is an annual Miami reggae music festival. The festival was dubbed “Marley Fest” for the late Bob Marley. The 19^th annual festival is scheduled to take place this year on March 3 without the Marley brothers. Marley’s three sons, Stephen, Damian, and Julian Marley were expected to perform at this year’s event. Unexpectedly the trio pulled out of the event, and issued a statement saying that they would not be performing.

The Miami New Times reports, that the sudden change in their decision may stem from the ongoing legal battle that they have with the show’s promoter, Richard Booker.  Bob Marley’s sons, and his widow, Rita are suing Booker for allegedly profiting off of Marley’s name without sharing the profits. The promoter has used developed and sold a variety of merchandise using the Marley name.

After careful thought, the brothers thought it would be contradictory to headline a show for someone they are taking to court.  This seems like a decision the brothers should have made before they ever agreed to headline the show. The sudden change comes days before the show, and does not sound like good news for fans of the singers that have already bought tickets to the show. The Marley brothers represent some of the biggest names of the show, which is why they were headlining it.  It will be very interesting to see how well the music festival does without the brothers headlining it. For last minute ticket buyers, tickets can still be purchased online, with a choice between VIP or General Admission.

Cris Cab is the newest artist to hit the music scene, and he is extremely good! Hailing from Miami, the 18 year old takes inspiration from Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley among others. When I first began listening to Cris early last year I had a feeling that he would blowup, well I guess Pharrell Williams has that same feeling. The producer, singer and designer took Cab under his wing as his protégé. The fact that he is Pharrell’s protégé there is almost a guarantee that his music will be up to par with quality music as opposed just mainstream music.

The most refreshing thing about Cab is that he is all music and no gimmick. That means no extra hair dye, clothes, makeup, and ridiculous tattoos to hide behind. With Cris what you see is what you get, and there are definitely no complaints. The singer incorporates much of the Miami/ Caribbean vibe into his music. The young singer also has a unique voice, where he can hold a note and create an enticing story.

In the end, all I know is that listening to Cris Cab brings me back to those lazy summer days in high school. As melodic and addicting his music is you can catch more of it on his debut EP, Foreword. Cris is also embarking on a new tour, now that he is done with high school. Click here to download his EP or to see if he is coming to a city near you.

Every once in awhile I find myself reminiscing about an artist who once was something, and wonder whatever happened to them? People on this list include Lyfe Jennings, Scott Storch, Cherish, Ciara, Jojo and for a short time Kelly Clarkson. I usually search each person to find any updated news about them. Well it seems as though I hadn’t searched Scott Storch’s name in years. I was shocked to find out that the reason Storch hadn’t made a decent hit was because of his expensive drug problem. Cocaine, more specifically, is what caused him to blow through much of his fortune. I just always wonder how some artists can squander so much money, then I remember its just another case of too much money to spend.

Scott Storch, the Miami native, produced hit beats for artists like Dr. Dre, The Roots, Fat Joe, and the list goes on. For a good time the man’s name was behind almost every hit record on the radio. He even helped to put Miami back on the map musically. I called that the ‘Scott Storch Era’ since everyone wanted him in their music videos or to make a hit track for them. I guess Scott also called that the ‘Scott Storch Era’, since he got a little too comfortable with his lifestyle, and with what Hollywood had to offer.

There are a handful of people who shoot to superstardom, and have no idea how to deal with it. Then there is a smaller fraction of people, who know how to deal with. Fortunately for Storch he was given a second chance, something that a lot of performers don’t get especially when there is another Ciara, Jojo, and even Rihanna waiting to take their place.