Santogold vs. M.I.A.
versus
mon 8/18/2008
| name | Santi White. | Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam. |
| hometown | Philadelphia, PA. | Hounslow, London. |
| born in | 1976. | 1977. |
| what's in a name | Taken from an infamous '80s infomercial selling "Santo Gold" jewelry. | Stands for Missing In Acton and Missing In Action. |
| style | New wave, pop, electro and dub fusion. | World beat, hip hop and electro fusion. |
| previous gig | A&R representative for Epic Records and lead singer of punk band Stiffed. | Visual artist and music video director. |
| breakthrough track | L.E.S. Artistes. | Galang. |
| as heard on | Converse and Bud Light Lime beer commercials. | Pineaple Express movie trailer and soundtrack. |
| young poets | "Me, I'm a creator, thrill is to make it up, the rules I break, got me a place, up on the radar, me, I'm a taker, know what the stakes are, can't roll it back, it's understood, got to play our cards." - Creator. | "I fly like paper, get high like planes, if you catch me at the border I got visas in my name,If you come around here, I make 'em all day, I get one down in a second if you wait." - Paper Planes. |
| killer collabo | Julian Casablancas and N.E.R.D. | Missy Elliot |
| produced by | Mark Ronson, Diplo, John Hill and Switch. | Richard X, Diplo, Timbaland and Switch. |
| in their own words | "It's racist (laughs). It's totally racist. Everyone is just so shocked that I don't like R&B. Why does R&B keep coming into my interviews? It's pissing me off." - Santogold | "And I love hip-hop. I grew up on that shit. I don't wanna say anything bad about it. But by the time I got to it I felt like it was too late. I wanted realism but that was difficult." - M.I.A. |
| most recent release | Santogold. | Kala. |
| the critics | The Onion's A.V. Club: "Santogold manages to weave together a strange amalgam of tracks that sound almost nothing alike, yet are unmistakably part of the same whole. Santogold's relentless disregard for genre boundaries in the service of a stellar pop song is the real glue that holds the album together." | Rolling Stone: "There's a resolute sarcasm, a weariness and defiant determination, a sense of pleasure carved out of work – articulated by the lyrics, embodied by the music. A riot of human, musical and mechanical sounds bubbles underneath these tracks." |
| webprops | 69,279 friends on official MySpace. | 331,768 on official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Becoming digital wallpaper in Lights Out. | Dancing in front of digital wallpaper in Boyz. |
Akwid vs. Crooked Stilo
versus
mon 8/11/2008
| name | Sergio and Francisco Gomez. | Victor and Johnny Lopez. |
| nicknames | Wikid and Ak. | Lunatiko and El Duke. |
| origin | México. | El Salvador. |
| hometown | East Los Angeles. | East Los Angeles. |
| formed in | 2000. | 1993. |
| a family affair | Brothers. | Brothers. |
| classified as | Urban regional hip hop. | Urban regional hip hop. |
| what’s in a name | Combined each of their nicknames. | Their style is "chueco." |
| the look | Matching jerseys, baggy pants and black gloves. | Baggy shirts, sunglasses and Jesus pieces. |
| love to sample | Mexican regional sounds. | Tropical and Caribbean sounds. | in their own words | "We crossed over as 'wetbacks' ... but it's not something that kept us from doing what we wanted to do. I'm proud of being who I am and where I come from." | "We came from El Salvador and the situation was so bad there, we got to the projects, and to us it was Beverly Hills." |
| killer collab | Los Tucanes De Tijuana. | Daddy Yankee. | most recent album | La Novela. | Cumbia Urbana: The Album. |
| the critics | Allmusic: "Sure, there's nothing especially revolutionary about the urban regional sound trademarked here by Akwid, but it hadn't really been done this well to date, which makes these brothers the first of their kind to break this style into the Latin music mainstream." | Allmusic: "The two Salvadoran brothers who comprise L.A.'s Crooked Stilo bring a lot of West Coast influences to Puro Escandalo, which is mindful of Cypress Hill and Funkdoobiest, as well as the more pop-friendly Mellow Man Ace." |
| webprops | 60,569 friends on official MySpace. | 13,677 friends on official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Pimpin' and partying in No Hay Manera. | Flirting with college girls in Mis Colegialas. |
M.J. vs. Baby Boy
versus
mon 8/4/2008
| name | José A. Matos Negrón. | Roberto Borrero. |
| hometown | Born in Puerto Rico. Grew up in Pennsylvania. | Born in Puerto Rico. Grew up in New Jersey and Florida. |
| age | 23. | 27. |
| style | Pop, bachata and reggaetón. | Pop and R&B. |
| the look | Stunna shades-loving pretty boy. | Stunna shades-loving pretty boy. |
| former day job | Sound engineer. | Restauranteur and owner of cell phone store chain. |
| before going solo | Worked with Luny Tunes. | Member of bachata-pop group Afixiao. |
| could be the next | Zion. | Flex. |
| in their own words | "Yes, there are many new young artists in our genre and all of us have a lot of dreams. But I'm ready to work and leave my footprint in music." | "In my album there is no reggaetón, but that's not a bad thing… it doesn't mean I won't do reggaetón again." |
| breakthrough track | He Venido. | Ya No Llores (Let Me Love You). |
| most recent release | Mi Sentimiento. | Ya No Llores: Let Me Love You. |
| the critics | Real Talk Reggaetón: "[M.J.'s] CD is fire!! It is definately worth a download. There is no reason to say that M.J. isn't good. This guy is going to blow up in the next few months." | El Corillord.com: “A month after releasing his debut album … [Baby Boy] has created a group of followers in and outside the U.S. that are propelling him little by little to the center of the universe of urban latin music.” |
| webprops | 10,911 friends on official MySpace. | 5,301 friends on official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Trying to win over a girl who has a BF in Dile. | Reminding a girl she's too young for love in Tus Quince Años. |
Prima J vs. Nina Sky
versus
mon 7/28/2008
| names | Janelle and Jessica Martínez. | Nicole and Natalie Albino. |
| hometown | Rosemead, California. | Queens, New York. |
| birthdate | August 26 (Janelle) and May 25 (Jessica), 1988. | March 13, 1986. |
| style | Latin pop, rock and R&B. | Latin pop, freestyle and R&B. |
| family affair | Cousins. | Twin sisters. |
| what’s in a name | Primas who both have names starting with a "J." | "Ni" as in Nicole. "Na" as in Natalie. Sky, because "the sky’s the limit." |
| ethnicity | Mexican-American. | Nuyorican. |
| the look | West Coast ghetto fab. | East Coast ghetto fab. |
| discovered by | Wild Orchid’s Stefanie Ridel. | The Jettsonz. |
| breakthrough single | Rockstar. | Move Ya Body. |
| launched in | 2007. | 2004. |
| killer collab | "Corazon (Remix)" with Colby O’ Donis. | "Oye Mi Canto" by N.O.R.E. |
| new album | Self-titled. | The Musical, due this Fall. |
| the critics | Blogcritics Magazine: “In the cutthroat world of music, the pleasantries of business are rarely a family affair. But when the going gets rough, Janelle and Jessica Martinez find comfort and strength in each other.” | The Situation U.K.: “Every now and then an artist or group is plucked from obscurity and somehow with some stroke of luck manage to infiltrate our radio stations and television sets. This is exactly what happened with the track ‘Move Ya Body.'” |
| in their own words | [J]ust keep pushin’ for your dream and don't stop for anything or anybody ... you HAVE to believe in yourself!" - Jessica. | "Stay focused; never give up. I think that everything is possible. Our thing is dream big. If you dream it, you can do it.” - Natalie |
| webprops | 78,970 friends on official MySpace. | 135,083 friends on official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Singing their hearts out in Nadie. | Bringing down the house with Tony Touch in Play That Song. |
Allison vs. Metro Station
versus
mon 7/21/2008
| name | Allison. | Metro Station. |
| hometown | Mexico City, México. | Hollywood, California. |
| formed in | 2002. | 2006. |
| members | Erik, Fear, Manolín and Diego. | Trace Cyrus, Mason Musso, Anthony Improgo and Blake Healy. |
| sounds like | Emotional pop-punk. | Emotional electro-punk. |
| the look | Bright, colorful T-shirts and tight pants. | Emo hair, glasses and tight pants. |
| influenced by | Dashboard Confessional, Metallica and MxPx. | Blink 182, Phil Collins and Panic at the Disco! |
| scored a deal | The old fashioned way: their manager took their demos to a record label. |
The new school way: a record executive ‘discovered’ them via MySpace. |
| not to be confused with | The song by The Pixies. | The song by Terror of the Sea. |
| debut single | Frágil. | Seventeen Forever. |
| as seen in | Advertising for Paco Rabanne perfume and Jolly Rancher candy in México. | Alternative Press magazine's "22 Best Underground Bands (That Likely Won't Stay Underground for Long)." |
| latest album | Memorama. | Self-titled. |
| the critics | Informador.com.mx: "Allison has worked hard to break the mold. They're not 'just another pop rock band.' Nor the 'new band with a girl’s name.' Not even 'TV darlings.'" | The Carolinian Online: "Their iTunes rating is four and a half out of five stars, and they've recently been recognized by Teen Vogue as their Best New Artist. How can one possibly compete with that?" |
| in their own words | "We are guys who have our feet on the ground. We try to be in touch with our fans and the press, because we are where we are thanks to them." - Erik. | "We want them to dance. I want them to dance. If you are hearing me right now, I am Mason Musso and when you listen to our record feel free to fucking dance." |
| webprops | 71,531 friends on official MySpace. | 237,599 friends on official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Being subjected to weird experiments in '80s. | Breakin', poppin' and rolling in Shake It. |
Colby O'Donis vs. Ray J
versus
tue 7/15/2008
| name | Colby O'Donis Colón. | William Ray Norwood, Jr. |
| birthdate | March 14, 1989. | January 17, 1981. |
| born in | Queens, New York. | McComb, Mississippi. |
| homebase | Los Angeles, California. | Los Angeles, California. |
| style | Pop and R&B. | Hip Hop and R&B. |
| may be the next | Justin Timberlake. | R. Kelly. |
| saludando con sombrero ajeno | Akon’s protégé. | Brandy’s little brother. |
| loves to wear | Track jackets. | Tank tops. |
| the lyrics | Nice and sweet. | Raunchy and raw. |
| breakthrough track | What You Got ft. Akon. | One Wish. |
| killer collab | Just Dance with Lady Ga Ga. | Sexy Can I with Young Berg. |
| in their own words | "I’m a songwriter and a producer. I produced most of my album. I like to be a part of the creative process. Akon gave me creative control on my whole album. These labels, they wanted to control every little detail and aspect of what I wanted to do." | "A lot of people think of me as being an attention whore or a slut. And I’m not really that. I love being in front of the camera and entertaining. But I do respect women. I’m not disrespectful to anybody that I’m cool with." |
| most recent release | Colby O, to be released later this year. | All I Feel. |
| the critics | Mixtape Maestro: "'What U Got' sees O'Donis coming across as the male version of Paula DeAnda … but if his plans are beyond just being the latest flavor-of-the-month, he's got a lot of work to do." | DJ Booth: “Ray J seems so driven to prove he’s no longer that wholesome kid whose “first name is Brandy’s brother” he’s gone completely overboard in the other direction." |
| webprops | 80,842 friends on official MySpace. | 380,453 friends on official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Flirting with rich girls in What You Got. | Getting in trouble for videtaping girls in What I Need. |
Weezer vs. Coldplay
versus
mon 7/7/2008
| name | Weezer. | Coldplay. |
| hometown | Los Angeles, California. | London, England. |
| formed in | 1992. | 1997. |
| members | Rivers Cuomo, Scott Shriner, Patrick Wilson and Brian Bell. | Chris Martin, Will Champion, Johny Buckland and Guy Berryman. |
| style | Geeky American alternative rock. | Serious British alternative rock. |
| sounds like | Pixies, Cheap Trick and Kiss. | Radiohead, Jeff Buckley and The Verve. |
| previously known as | Avant Garde, Zoom and 60 Wrong Sausages. | Pectoralz. |
| might be | The modern-day Van Halen. | The modern-day U2. |
| debut album | Self-titled album referred to as the Blue Album. | Parachutes. |
| ticket to the bigtime | Undone (The Sweater Song). | Yellow. |
| extracurricular activities | Rivers Cuomo guested on "I Suck" by Mark Ronson. | Chris Martin guested on "Beach Chair" by Jay-Z and "Homecoming" by Kanye West. |
| they just wanna save the world | Organizing virtual food-fights with Conscious Alliance. | Supporting fair trade with Oxfam and human rights with Amnesty International. |
| latest album | Red Album. | Viva La Vida. |
| U.S. sales | Six albums, 7.5 million sold. | Four albums, 11 million sold. |
| the critics | Allmusic: "What set the band apart was their geekiness. None of the members of Weezer, especially leader Rivers Cuomo, were conventional rockers – they were kids that holed up in their garage, playing along with their favorite records when they weren't studying or watching TV." | Allmusic: "Coldplay quickly became one of the biggest bands of the new millennium, honing a mix of introspective Brit-pop and anthemic rock that landed the British quartet a near-permanent residence on record charts world-wide." |
| bet you didn't know | Rivers Cuomo had surgery to lengthen his right leg so it could be even with his left leg. | Actor Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) is the godfather of Chris Martin's daughter, Apple. |
| webprops | 534,482 friends on official MySpace. | 444,322 friends on official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Parading with YouTube stars in Pork and Beans. | Walking backwards in The Scientist. |
Three 6 Mafia vs. Plies
versus
mon 6/30/2008
| name | Juicy J (Paul Beauregard) and DJ Paul (Jordan Houston). | Algernod Lanier Washington. |
| hometown | Memphis, Tenessee. | Fort Myers, Florida. |
| debuted in | 1991. | 2005. |
| style | Southern hip hop and horrorcore. | Southern hip hop. |
| debut album | Mystic Stylez. | The Real Testament. |
| breakthrough track | Stay Fly featuring 8 Ball & MJG and Young Buck. | Hypnotized featuring Akon. |
| killer collab | Sippin on Syrup featuring UGK. | Shawty with T-Pain. |
| beef | Ex-member Koopsta Knicca. | Trick Daddy. |
| drama | Accused of including satanic messages in their music. | Accused of firing a gun into a crowd after one of his performances was cut short. |
| in their own words | "You got a hit song, if a female don’t like it, it’s not a hit. If a woman likes it, more than one, it’s a smash. You actually gotta please the females before you please pretty much anybody else." | "A lot of ni***s think being real is how many times you done been to prison or how many ni***s you done murked in the streets. I beg to differ. For me, real is being a responsible father." |
| most recent release | Last 2 Walk. | Definition of Real. |
| the critics | Rolling Stone: “As rappers, Three 6 have always been pro forma, bragging blandly about drugs, sex and cars, but their beats can be revelatory.” | The New York Times: “Plies, from Fort Myers, Fla., is an average technician, but he has a glorious mush-mouth growl.” |
| maybe you didn't know | First African-American rap group to win an Oscar. | The hit song "I Wanna Love You" by Akon originally featured Plies instead of Snoop Dogg. |
| webprops | 158,994 friends on new official MySpace. | 538,661 friends on official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Partying in a psychedelic, computer-generated world in Lolli Lolli (Pop that Body). | Rolling in a convertible with Ne-Yo in Bust It Baby Pt. 2. |
Iron Man vs. The Incredible Hulk
versus
tue 6/24/2008
| movie name | Iron Man. | The Incredible Hulk. |
| directed by | Jon Favreau. | Louis Leterrier. |
| budget | $135 million. | $130 million. |
| lead actor | Real-life playboy Robert Downey, Jr., who once battled with substance abuse. | Mild-mannered actor Edward Norton. |
| the hero | Weapons expert and wealthy womanizer Anthony "Tony" Edward Stark. | Nuclear physicist Robert Bruce Banner. |
| arch-nemesis | Stark Industries CEO Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), who becomes Iron Monger. | Soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), who becomes The Abomination. |
| love interest | Assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). | Physics professor Betty Ross (Liv Tyler). |
| pre-release worries | Is Robert Downey, Jr. believable as a superhero? | Has the public forgotten about the disappointing 2003 movie The Hulk? |
| gross revenue on opening weekend | $98.6 million in the U.S. and Canada. | $55.4 million in the U.S. and Canada. |
| based on the comic by | Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby. | Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. |
| first appearance | "Tales of Suspense" comic book in March of 1963. | "The Incredible Hulk" comic book in May of 1962. |
| the look | Robot-like humanoid in gold and red. | Giant green man with ripped pants. |
| superpowers | Near-indestructible armor, supersonic flight and nifty weapons. | Super-human strength and agility. |
| origin | Kidnapped by terrorists and mortally wounded, builds armor to keep self alive and escape. | Gets caught in the blast of a gamma bomb he developed for the government. |
| the critics | The Wall Street Journal: “The gadgetry is absolutely dazzling, the action is mostly exhilarating, the comedy is scintillating and the whole enormous enterprise, spawned by Marvel comics, throbs with dramatic energy because the man inside the shiny red robotic rig is a daring choice for an action hero, and an inspired one." | USA Today: "The latest Incredible Hulk is so steeped in action and spectacular special effects that his 2003 predecessor might be turning a more vivid green with envy. The saga is uneven and there are plot holes, but as a popcorn movie steeped in action, it keeps our attention." |
| webprops | Rated 93 percent "fresh" on RottenTomatoes.com. | Rated 66 percent "fresh" on RottenTomatoes.com. |
Rihanna vs. Ashanti
versus
tue 6/17/2008
| name | Robyn Rihanna Fenty. | Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas. |
| hometown | Saint Michael, Barbados. | Glen Cove, New York. |
| birthdate | February 28, 1988. | October 13, 1980. |
| style | Pop and R&B. | Pop and R&B. |
| musical influences | Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Madonna and reggae star Bob Marley. | Mary J. Blige, Ella Fitzgerald and seventies soul act Blue Magic. |
| nickname/s | RiRi, Caribbean Queen, The New Princess of Pop. | The Princess of Hip Hop. |
| debut single | Pon de Replay. | Foolish. |
| collaborations | Sean Paul, Jay-Z, Ne-Yo and Maroon 5. | Fat Joe, Ja Rule, Nelly, Akon, Method Man and R. Kelly. |
| killer collabo | Umbrella featuring Jay-Z. | Always on Time by Ja Rule. |
| most recent release | Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded. | The Declaration. |
| label | Def Jam Recordings. | The Inc. Records. |
| not-so-secret boyfriend | Chris Brown. | Nelly (Ex-BF). |
| as seen in | Bring It On: All or Nothing. | Coach Carter, John Tucker Must Die and Resident Evil: Extinction. |
| the critics | Askmen: “Rihanna's sudden and meteoric rise made 'American Idol' hopefuls look like seasoned crooners who had spent a decade on the road before hitting the big time. A native of the island of Barbados, Rihanna lived an average life and barely even dreamed of show business before she was discovered in late 2003." | Allmusic: “She quickly became a sensation, gracing the covers of magazines and dominating urban radio. Ashanti built her reputation with duets, where she would complement an already popular rapper, contrasting the tough-guy male perspective with her own. It didn't take the young vocalist long to make a name for herself." |
| webprops | 1,319,784 friends on official MySpace. | 47,083 friends on new official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Feeling the guilt in Unfaithful. | Reeling from the betrayal of an unfaithful partner in The Way That I Love You. |