Kanye West: Love? Hate? Couldn't Care Less?

Hey gang, I need your help.

I want your take on Kanye West (even if you don't have a take on Kanye West). Maybe you love his music, hate his ego. Maybe you dig Gold Digger, despise the rest.

Maybe you think he's a liberal windbag; maybe you think more artists should speak their minds like the Chicago rapper. Me? I think Ye has the genius gene in him, which means he's a fascinating, frustrating, phenomenal headcase. I'm pro-Kanye all the way.

Anyway, lemme know. I'm writing up an essay about his polarizing rep for the next Weekend mag. Kanye plays the Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa on Monday, May 5.

Kanye, Rihanna Coming to Tampa May 5!

Just got a great scoop from those cool kids at tbt*...

Kanye West's "Glow In the Dark Tour" -- hence the vainglorious rapper's funky specs at last weekend's Grammy Awards -- is coming to Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa on May 5.

And Mr.West is bringing a ton of high-wattage pals with him. 

Seriously, this sucker's a monster tour. Fellow Grammy-winner, and incadescent R&B diva, Rihanna, Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco and Pharrell's cool side project N.E.R.D. are also on onboard for what could be one of the biggest, most profitable hip-hop shows in history.

No word yet on when tickets will be made available, but I'll let you know as soon as I find out. Here's more on the story from MTV.com.

By the way, I am TOTALLY buying a pair of those glasses if Kanye sells 'em at the merch tent.

(Oh, and for those of you with eclectic tastes, this is also the night before Radiohead at the same venue. That makes me a very happy camper.)

[Getty Images]

And the Grammys will go to...

Say "Kanye West" eight times fast and you'll get the probable vibe of Sunday's 50th annual Grammys Awards. The deck is so stacked in favor of the Chicago rapper, who leads all artists with eight nominations, it's almost certain the "Louis Vuitton don" will leave with a fat load of loot.

It should also be a good night for British terror Amy Winehouse and the two women in Jay-Z's life: Beyonce and Rihanna. Handicapping the Grammys has never been easier, so my picks are no doubt perfect. Not that you should wager your co-worker. Well, maybe a burrito.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR NOMINEES: Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace; Vince Gill, These Days; Herbie Hancock, River: The Joni Letters; Amy Winehouse, Back to Black; Kanye West, Graduation.

THE WINNER? Kanye West. With the exception of Winehouse, none of these performers will even come close to ruining West's night. Herbie Hancock? It's a fine album but . . . Herbie Hancock?! The Recording Academy uses a "peer-based" voting system made up of oldsters who long to be cool (they'll pick West) and youngsters who really are cool (they'll also pick West). Also important to remember: Graduation was one of last year's rare multiplatinum hits, and the spiraling music industry is desperate to remind you that people still buy music legally.

BEST NEW ARTIST NOMINEES: Feist, Ledisi, Paramore, Taylor Swift, Amy Winehouse.

THE WINNER? Amy Winehouse. This is a sublime assemblage of talent, especially the nods to indie-cool singer-songwriter Feist and soul belter Ledisi. But it will ultimately come down to country nymph Swift and Winehouse. Swift is a randier version of Carrie Underwood (which I totally approve of), but Winehouse's Back to Black album (new-school beats meet girl-group shuffle) is a near-masterpiece. Winehouse's acceptance speech should be a doozy.

SONG OF THE YEAR NOMINEES: Before He Cheats (performed by Carrie Underwood); Hey There Delilah (Plain White T's); Like a Star (Corinne Bailey Rae); Rehab (Amy Winehouse); Umbrella (Rihanna).

THE WINNER? Umbrella. The absolutely incandescent Rihanna is scheduled to perform this silly-illy-illy smash on the awards show. So she'll already have that going for her. The Grammys like to spread the love around among young talent, so they probably won't go back to Winehouse. Underwood sells tons of albums, but she had her moment last year.

RECORD OF THE YEAR NOMINEES: Irreplaceable (performed by Beyonce); The Pretender (Foo Fighters); Umbrella (Rihanna); What Goes Around . . . Comes Around (Justin Timberlake); Rehab (Amy Winehouse).

THE WINNER? Irreplaceable. Whereas song of the year is for the songwriters, record of the year is for the artist and producer. The Grammys have a major crush on Beyonce, too: She's pretty, she's clean, she's a vavoomish ambassador for pop music. Having already acknowledged Winehouse and Rihanna, they'll give B some love. Besides, Irreplaceable was a monster.

BEST ROCK ALBUM NOMINEES: Daughtry, Daughtry; John Fogerty, Revival; Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace; Bruce Springsteen, Magic; Wilco, Sky Blue Sky.

WINNER? Foo Fighters. The Grammys will probably screw this one up, but they kind of have to. The Foos are the only act in this category also up for album of the year, so do the math. If I were a member of the academy, however, I'd vote for the raw, rawkin' anger of Fogerty. He won't win, but he should.

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM NOMINEES: Dierks Bentley, Long Trip Alone; Vince Gill, These Days; Tim McGraw, Let It Go; Brad Paisley, 5th Gear; George Strait, It Just Comes Natural.

THE WINNER? Vince Gill. Again, Gill is the only nominee here also up for the big prize, so he's money in the bank. But the award should go to Paisley, whose ability to sing, write and pick the heck out of his guitar is a rare treat in modern country. On a final note, it's a crime that Miranda Lambert isn't on this list, but that's Grammy cluelessness for you. Oh well, at least they'll get it right with Kanye.

TAKE THE QUIZ: Think you know something about Grammy history? Try taking the online interactive quiz that my Stuck in the 80s buddy Steve Spears wrote on tampabay.com. And don't tell me for a second that he actually knew the answer to all those questions. Click here to take the quiz.

One More Day 'Til SD's Return...

Let's celebrate!

New Gnarls Barkley?

This may or may not be the new Gnarls Barkley song.

In fact, the less I say about this, the better.

But whatever it is, it's totally awesome, with that Swinging '60s beat and Cee-Lo's hair-on-fire soul.

The followup album to GB's 2006 hit St. Elsewhere is scheduled for spring (after being scheduled for last Christmas).

But I've said enough. Enjoy. Or not. In fact, forget I ever told you about this.

"Mr. Daly Be Tripping!"

Just received this rather brilliant letter from a seventh-grade class at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg. The students had a few pointed things to say about my Soulja Boy review (which you can read here). Point taken, gang. Point taken.

Dear Mr. Daly,

We were very interested to read your concert review of Chris Brown, Soulja Boy and Bow Wow.

Our Journalism teacher Mr. Mabe had us read it to see what a professional concert review is like. Plus he knew those performers are all very popular with our age group.

But we soon ran into a problem. We could not understand what you were talking about. As one student noted, when it comes to vocabulary, "Mr. Daly be tripping."

Still, Mr. Mabe was able to use it as a lesson for us. We went through the story and found the dictionary definition of all the words we didn't know and then Mr. Mabe would give us an example of how it is used. And it only took us two 80-minute classes to look them all up!!

Here are the words we had trouble with, along with their definition:

fodder = raw material
fanatics = fans
sate= satisfy
jones = addiction
snippets = small parts
cohesion = sticking together
currency = money
bevy = collection
critiquing = analyzing or criticizing
rickety = unstable
grit = crunchy bits
mudslide = landslide of mud
swagger = jaunty walk or strut (Mr. Mabe said some guy named Mick Jagger invented that one.
emblematic = representing
bust = failure
lanky = skinny or raw-boned
tutorial = something that teaches you how to do something
raunchy = dirty or nasty
throngs = a large number of people (some kids giggled when Mr. Mabe said it because they thought he said "thongs.")
ubiquitous = everywhere
strains = part of music (but we only figured that out after looking at 33 other possible definitions.)
venue = a place
unison = all together, as one
foster = promote
conjured = bring or summon
engaging = interacting
banter = talking, chit-chat
dubbed = named or called
loose-limbed = flexible

We also never heard of Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly. Some of the kids sort of knew the names but we had no idea why. So Mr. Mabe put on a preview of the movie "Singing in the Rain," and we all sang along.

So anyway, what's with all the big words, dude?

7th Grade Research Class
John Hopkins Middle School

Mary J. Blige & Ludacris "Grown Woman"

This one goes out to all my over-30 ladies in the blogosphere. The best track off MJB's new album, it's a randy, grindy duet between the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul (who's 37) and a booty-chasing rapper (who's 29) who's shocked to learn he's mad-hot for an older woman. Chalk one up for maturity.

Chuck's Still Fighting

You gotta love Chuck D, a true original and a genuine badass. Even when he's wrong, you nod your head and throw up a fist. Chuck took part in a hip-hop summit at the University of South Florida last night: "Perspectives of Hip Hop in Today's Society," a rather wonky title for a decidedly hot-button event. I'm not that crazy about the story I filed on deadline -- it's pretty stiff -- but I've provided it below nonetheless. There's definitely more to be said about hip-hop perpetuating the very stereotypes it claims it hates.

Anyway, at the very least, I can clarify here what Chuck D said about Viacom media mogul Sumner Redstone, puppetmaster of MTV and BET: "I wanna whup that cracker's ass!" Again, god bless Chuck D.

TAMPA — Listening to rapper Chuck D's persuasive state of the union smackdown at the University of South Florida on Tuesday, you could envision the incendiary mouthpiece of Public Enemy debating head to head with our presidential hopefuls.

Forget about YouTube. The sucker would be better suited as a boxing match on ESPN.

Taking part in a passionate panel discussion called "Perspectives of Hip Hop in Today’s Society," sponsored by the school’s University Lecture Series, the musician took aim not just at the consumers who gobble up misogynistic, racially demeaning rap music, but also the executives and powers-that-be who sell the party-centric songs with little care for the negative message.

Chuck's pull-no-punches hit list included octogenarian media mogul Sumner Redstone — chairman of Viacom, owner of MTV and BET — whom D offered to, ahem, teach a few things in a most unpleasant manner. Speak loudly and threaten to beat someone's a-- — that's the Chuck D way.

“Young people have been tricked by older people,” said the famously in-your-face musician, whose body of work in the ’80s stressed pro-unity in the African-American community rather than pro-booty, pro-bling, pro-I gotta get mine, who cares about yours.
The money men driving the hip-hop machine are "not family." They don’t care about anything but the bottom line. And if we keep buying harmful music, why would executives stop selling it?

“You have to be accountable,” D urged in his booming voice. “When you don’t stand up for something, you don’t stand for anything.”

Alicia Keys' "As I Am"

Alicia Keys, As I Am (J Records) GRADE: A-

Prodigious R&B star Alicia Keys opens her new album with a baroque piano flurry, a fastest-fingers contest blending classical pomp with funky stomp. The album and the instrumental are both called As I Am, which turns out to be both a mission statement and a stubborn promise. Although she’s pretty enough to be a pinup and clever enough to chart with easy-bake hits, the only game she’s playing is her own.

So what we have here is another solid, safe, at times spectacular Alicia Keys album, one she describes rather boastfully as "Janis Joplin meets Aretha Franklin." The ballads (both the breakups and the back-togethers) burn with that seamless soul-kissed voice, the upbeat tracks get a good grind going and the go-girl messages are in all the right places. It’s a fine album, one of the year’s most pleasing, and it’s going bag Grammys and sell in bunches.

So why am I still a little disappointed with As I Am, her first studio disc since 2003’s The Diary of Alicia Keys?

Unfair expectations, no doubt. The 26-year-old is the rare modern pop star who’s better in concert than she is on album. She’s capable of playing anything, singing anything, a consummate go-go-go showwoman in a curvy 5-foot-5 frame. In a live setting, everything is given extra oomph, piano-playing as a contact sport. Ask anyone who’s been lucky enough to get a ticket to her show, and they’ll rave in agreement. In this day and age of one-and-done pop stars, Keys is someone will be cheering for 20 years down the road.

Ever since I saw her on a double-bill with John Legend— and then met Keys face-to-face at the MTV VMAs in Miami, where I was rendered mute and drooly — I’ve been a major Keys fan. Album after album, show after show, she keeps getting better. So I honestly expected As I Am to be her masterpiece, her Songs in the Key of Life, her Dusty in Memphis. It was the one album I had circled on my calendar at the beginning of the year. Is that fair? Maybe not. But it’s the truth.

Smothered, Covered, Chunked & Rocked

I love this story: On Sunday, Kid Rock, hero to suburban dirtballs everywhere, was arrested in a DeKalb, Ga., Waffle House -- at 5 a.m. no less -- after beating down some dude who bad-mouthed a woman in his entourage. Kid Rock spent 12 hours in jail.

In his smirky mug shot, Kid Rock looks like he's having the time of his life. And why not? That mad-grinning greaseball has created a foolproof, jailproof persona for himself. He's a Southern rocker-cum-Detroit rapper with a taste for strippers (Pamela Anderson included), booze, Waffle House and police reports.

The last time Kid Rock (aka Bob Ritchie) had an album out, he "got caught" on tape having sex side-by-side with the dude from Christian-rock band Creed. The dude from Creed was never heard from again; Kid Rock wound up on the cover of "Rolling Stone."

Kid Rock's new album Rock 'n' Roll Jesus was released last week. Some people shave their heads for publicity. Some people do the talk-show circuit. Kid Rock has his hash browns scattered, smothered, covered, chunked and diced -- then he beats the crap out of some brainiac sitting at the counter scarfing an omelette. The brainiac is never heard from again -- Kid Rock's album just went No. 1.

Kid Rock just might be the smartest man in America -- or at least the smartest man in a wifebeater.

Reader Mail: "Cream of the Crop"?

S.D.,

I grew up as Como, Sinatra, Crosby, etc., etc., etc. were growing in popularity. They never screamed hatred for their country, law and order, women, etc., and they never shot or stabbed each other.

These scum that you refer to as artists ("Rappers Kanye West and 50 Cent are own biggest rivals," 9/13) are not fit to tread the earth with decent people! Art refers to a talent, thus artist relates to talented.

While I played guitar a little, I never could sing a note, BUT I, from about age 9 to present could and can write FAR BETTER lyrics on ANY decent subject; and grate and shout them out at least as well as they. That does not make me talented or an artist.

The fact that these low lifes become millionaires says a great deal about society and those who worship and write about them! ! !

Further, there were also women, Clooney, Starr, Page, etc., they didn't make public sex videos, or appear practically nude. They didn't go without underwear wearing mini dresses, purposely exposing their crotch to anyone in the area!

Lest you think me a religious nut, or prude. . . . I could write a few thousand pages of the MANY ladies (cream of the crop) with whom I shared REAL adventures, likely far exceeding those that the guys in bars and elsewhere fantacize and lie to each other about!

Yet neither they nor I could stoop to the gutter level of these so-called celebrities, and those who idolize them!!!!!

That's "Vavoomishly" (Beyonce Review)

TAMPA -- She's only 25 years old, but after nights like this, she must feel 50.

It's not easy being Beyonce these days. Sure, she's incredibly rich, she's vavoomishly beautiful and, unlike many of her peers, she has talent and can actually spell t-a-l-e-n-t. But her Saturday show at the St. Pete Times Forum was a reminder that these are fickle days in the music biz.

Ms. Knowles, who has topped the charts with R&B trio Destiny's Child and as a solo artist, drew just a few thousand fans to her local stop at a joint that seats more than 20,000.

Attendance figures were not made available, but before the show, fans in the upper levels were invited to wander down to the first level and floor, which I have NEVER seen done at a Forum show. It should have been pandemonium, but it wasn't, another sign that plenty of seats were available.

You can blame it on the rainy weather. But the truth is that these are the downloadable days of disposable pop, when staying power means two weeks on the charts and maybe a date with Avril Lavigne.

You don't even have to be all that talented, but it helps to be cute. Take, for instance, opening act Robin Thicke, with his Kmart Justin Timberlake routine. You know what Thicke's really good at? Breathing heavy. Oh yeah, he's like the Darth Vader of lame R&B. I give him another month.

Beyonce knows the only way to stay on top is to work hard. And that's exactly what she did.

You Say It's Your B'day...It's My B'day, Too

I'm not gonna lie to you: Beyonce really does it for me. Her last album was kinda lame -- and yet, this picture from the liner notes of her last album was not. Look at those gators! Look at those heels! My girl B can sing, she can dance -- and her coconut-cracking gams are superheroic in build. A national treasure, I say! She's only 25 years old, but I bet she feels older, with all the Rihannas and such nipping at her diva heels. Poor thing. I'm here for you, baby girl. I'm here for you.

Anyway, on Saturday night, I'll be reviewing "The Beyonce Experience" at the St. Pete Times Forum. Ms. Knowles comes on at 9:15, and plays (or does whatever Beyonce does) until 11:15. I really only posted this blogation in order to run saucy pix, but for anyone who might care in the slightest, here is her setlist for the show, which has been printed in a few places. Let's go get 'em, B:

"Crazy in Love"
"Freakum Dress"
"Green Light"
"Baby Boy"/"Murder She Wrote"
"Beautiful Liar"
"Naughty Girl"
"Me, Myself and I"
"Dangerously in Love 2/He Loves Me"
"Flaws And All"
Destiny's Child Medley
"Speechless"
"Ring the Alarm"
"Suga Mama"
"Upgrade U"
"'03 Bonnie & Clyde"
"Check on It"
"Get Me Bodied"
"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friends/Dreamgirls"
"Listen"
"Irreplaceable"
"Deja Vu"

The New Ol' Blue Eyes?

Here's an essay I wrote for our Weekend mag, in honor of Justin Timberlake's Feb. 22 show at the St. Pete Times Forum. I'm expecting a barrage of hate mail -- all typed on Underwood No.5s.

IT ALL STARTS WITH THOSE PEEPERS, OF COURSE: sometimes flirty, sometimes intense, but always aware, of the cameras, of the crowds, of the cool. Frank Sinatra and Justin Timberlake, Ol' Blue Eyes and New Blue Eyes, singin' joes with the world on a ring-a-ding string.

Then there's this: Frank and JT both started in cheeky boy bands (the Hoboken Four, 'N Sync) and silly variety shows (Major Bowes, The Mickey Mouse Club). Sooner, rather than later, these scrawny, winter-born white boys from humble origins went solo, relying on African-American maestros -- Quincy Jones, Count Basie, Pharrell, Timbaland -- to inject crossover soul into their sound.

And don't forget: They both famously hooked up with femmes fatales -- Ava Gardner, Britney Spears -- and used well-publicized breakups (whether they were the dumper or the dumpee) to make their best music: In the Wee Small Hours, Cry Me a River. Those chart-topping tears would, in turn, help these incurable lady-killers attract even more bombshells.

On the surface, comparing Justin Randall Timberlake, who plays the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa tonight, to Francis Albert Sinatra sounds preposterous, silly, downright dangerous, considering Frank's clout.

But think about it for a minute, and the similarities are unmistakable. Heck, even Justin seems to know he's chasing Frank's ghost, the young pop stud dressing in Rat Pack ties, fedoras and carefully rumpled suits that beg comparison.

****

Take away those fedoras, the women, the stage lights, and things really get interesting. Two seemingly regular guys, Frank and Justin became larger than life by reading the vagaries of pop culture and using their talent in the right way at the right time: ditching youth-oriented bands, embracing muscular pop, daring to be arrogant, unafraid to be vulnerable, bringing sexy back (in the '60s, in the '00s) when we needed it most.

Madonna reinvents herself. Frank and Justin, two Grammy winners fully aware of their strengths and limitations, redirect themselves, deftly altering their approach without sacrificing who they are.

And because they're so good at manipulating and convincing, Timberlake and Sinatra found acting to be a natural extension of their talents. Sinatra won an Academy Award for his role as Maggio in From Here to Eternity; Timberlake, a critical fave as genial thug Frankie in Alpha Dog, might get a shiny statue someday, too.

In a way, they even sing the same kind of songs. Sure, JT isn't crooning big-band swing, and Sinatra didn't go hip-hop. But put a young Frank in 2007, or Justin in 1942, and maybe you'd see Sinatra cooing Senorita and Timberlake nailing Night and Day. After all, these two are pop stars through and through.

****

As for the major differences? Well, there's really only one glaring difference worth mentioning. Frank Sinatra is the greatest pop vocalist of all time, male or female. Timberlake wasn't even the best singer on the Grammys last week.

But Timberlake certainly has skills: His pillow-talk falsetto is a marvel. He can put together a bumpin' boogie track. And for a skinny punk from Memphis, the kid's one heck of a dancer. Frank was the ultimate showman, but Justin is already getting props for being the most complete young star stomping the boards today.

Besides, Timberlake just turned 26. Sinatra died in 1998 at the age of 82 after a career that lasted six decades and featured myriad comebacks; Timberlake started recording in 1998 and he has cleared one professional hurdle, the boy band curse. The kid's got a lot of living to do.

Is Timberlake the new Sinatra?

Maybe, maybe not. But the fact we're even discussing it tells you just how good Justin could be -- and just how much the world needs another Frank to brighten things up around here.

Bootsy Collins: Christmas Is 4 Ever

If you like your Christmas music with extra stank on it (and who doesn't?), you'll freak for Bootsy Collins' new Christmas Is 4 Ever. Bootsy played the spacey bass for groove-loving heroes James Brown and P-Funk. The guy's a kinky nut, leaving his "WMD under the Christmas tree." (Don't worry, it's wrapped.) The perfect host, he even invites Snoop Dogg and beloved pimp Bishop Don Magic Juan to the bawdy bash. If you bring Bootsy to your next Christmas party (office, neighborhood, grandma's), you'll score serious style points and/or never be invited again. As Bootsy sings on Chestnutz, “Real life is not made of cheese.” Happy Holidaze, baby.

What's In Sean's Mailbox: Diddy + Daly = Magic

Say what you want about Diddy, but the man is cool with me. That's 'cause Sean Combs knows just what I like, sending me a double-album VINYL edition of his new Press Play. Sure, you haters might say that's like having a double-album vinyl edition of caca. But I like Puff's latest. Makes me want to strip off my chamois and groove, especially during Tell Me, his hot duet with Christina Aguilera. Diddy cared enough to send vinyl for the holidays. I appreciate that.

My mailbox has been absolutely STUFFED lately. Check out the goodies...

Oasis -- Stop the Clocks (Best Of...)
Snoop Dogg -- The Blue Carpet Treatment
The Game -- Doctor's Advocate
Robert Plant -- Nine Lives (9-Disc Solo Comp)
Tenacious D -- The Pick of Destiny
Disney -- The Music Behind the Magic (2-Disc Comp)
Staind -- The Singles 1996-2006
Chris Daughtry -- Daughtry
Yusuf (aka Cat Stevens) -- An Other Cup
Il Divo -- Siempre
Kenny G -- I'm in the Mood for Love

Beyonce = Wonder Woman

The Hollywood buzz is that producers are once again drooling around the celebosphere for a sexy starlet to play Wonder Woman, the Amazonian crime-fighter with a heart of gold and thighs of steel. American Idol hottie Kat McPhee has been mentioned; scarily enough, so has 52-year-old Kim Basinger.

But here's a little advice for those cigar-chomping boys in the boardroom: If you can’t get Beyonce, scrap the whole damn thing.

La Knowles is the ONLY person worthy of flying Wonder Woman’s invisible plane and twirling her golden lasso. She has the hair, the muscle, the looks. And do I need to mention those coconut-cracking gams? With her classy rep and smoldering strength, Beyonce is a pop-culture superhero.

Hell, she even has her own theme song. The new Ring the Alarm is a siren wail of rage and recklessness, with the normally composed Beyonce ferocious at the idea of infidelity messing up her shot at love and luxury. The song allegedly stems from rumors that hottie popper Rihanna is cozying up to her boss, and Beyonce's beau, Jay-Z. That's a bad idea for sure. After all, hell hath no fury like a Wonder Woman scorned.

Butt Seriously

After a weekend in Disney World with Kid Lulu and the Forever Fiancee, I crave a playlist that is both easy and sleazy on the mind. Hence...

SD's "NICE BUNS" Mix

1.) Shake That A** -- the Lovemakers
2.) A** Like That -- Eminem
3.) Da Butt -- EU
4.) Baby Got Back -- Sir Mix-a-Lot
5.) Rump Shaker -- Wreckx-N-Effect
6.) Shake Ya Bum Bum -- Lil' Kim
7.) I See You Baby -- Groove Armada (Fatboy Slim Remix)
8.) Shake Your Rump to the Funk -- the Bar-Kays
9.) My Humps -- Black Eyed Peas
10.) Honky Tonk Badonkadonk -- Trace Adkins