After Quang Dung cancelled his performance on the same day as Quach Thanh Danh and demanded the 2 Bee club coordinator to take down Quach Thanh Danh’s ad, I stop listening to his music and stop buying his CD’s. In contrast, I picked up Quach Thanh Danh’s Toi La Toi and totally impressed. Although he is new, his vocal is quite matured. His timbre is along the line of Jimmy JC Nguyen and Vu Khanh mix together.

Quach Thanh Danh’s style is definitely slow and romantic. “Em Khoang Trong Va Toi” is modestly beautiful and he does a great job of expressing the sad emotion. “Duong Phuong Mot Cuoc Tinh” is nice and simple. “Xin Ru Muon Mang” is excellent too. It sounds like Trinh Cong Son’s music but I am not too sure.

The album (released by Buom Dem Music Volume 20) features 17 tracks I have never heard before. Tinh Vu Vo is the only one that I could recognize the melody. Actually, it’s similar to Ngoc Lan’s Ngay Vui Nam Ay. Of course, Ngoc Lan performance is indelible but it gives me an idea where Quach Thanh Danh stands. The overall album is not bad at all. He definitely has potential.

Obviously, bad scandals had helped boost Quach Thanh Danh’s popularity. First, his album got pulled and his live show was cancelled just because of the pose where he shows a bit of his brief. Too muscular for the Vietnamese government, how bullshit is that? Click here to see the photo. It’s nothing like Mark Wahlberg in CK underwear ads. Then Quang Dung was being stuck up and requested to pull down Quach Thanh Danh’s ad. Well, these negative scandals only make him well known to the public. Quach Thanh Danh, good luck and I’ll give you my supports so don’t let me down on your next album.

It takes me quite a long time to fully appreciate Norah Jones’ aesthetic work of art. Her Feels Like Home album takes my breath away as I head home last Friday evening. The best time for me to totally enjoy music is when I am on the road. So when I hit the freeway at 80 miles per hour, I just let the music takes over me. Inspired by the second album, I had to drop by the record store to pick up her first album Come Away With Me before driving back to Poughkeepsie. It surely made the trip much pleasurable and quicker. Now I am enjoying both albums back to back.

Of course, Jones’ exquisite vocal is the key ingredient that I am hooked on; however, the elegant musical elements (drums, bass, piano, guitar, and violin) truly enhanced the aesthetic experience. These simple yet graceful instruments meshed perfectly with Jones’ lovely voice to produced beautiful compositions. The sound engineering is flawlessly balanced that not one of the musical elements overshadows the others and together they have created an exceptional experience. Each time I listen her albums, I tend to separate each element to enjoy its individual aesthetic qualities. For instance, one time I dedicate my attention only to her voice and the lyrics while other time I simply focus mainly on her piano, the acoustic guitar, or the beats.

While both Come Away With Me and Feels Like Home are enjoyable, each album stands out independently. Come Away With Me has that slow and jazzy sense whilst Feels Like Home has that country and uplifting mode. Creepin’ In just makes me want to do Ho-down. My favorite track from Come Away With Me album is I’ve Got To See You Again and What Am I to You? from Feels Like Home. Of course, other songs are beautiful as well but those two stands out the most for me.

Nas’ classic, Illmatic is revived with remixes and bonus tracks. Illmatic is the album that changed the game and introduced lyrical aesthetics to Hip Hop. Even 10 years later, Illmatic still speaks to Hip Hop fans and earns Nas the respect as the street lyricist. Illmatic tells 9 stories of what he feels and sees. Welcome to his “New York State of Mind” and “Life’s a Bitch.” After experiencing Illmatic, “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” why he is Stillmatic. Nas is one of the greatest Hip Hop poets of all time.

Twista’s flow is amazingly fast and furious. He spits so fast but his word is still clear and understandable (unlike Bones, I couldn’t hear a word). Don’t know how he does it without stuttering. His latest album, Kamikaze, is filled with doses of adrenaline. Get Me sets off the album and gets your blood pumps up for the rest. Twista kicks off strong and fearless with killer lyrics. Kill Us All, follows up on the first, is the classic.

Of course, the collaboration with K. West on Slow Jamz and Overnight Celebrity is unreachable. So Sexy featuring R. Kelly is the speed of both worlds, where speedy Hip Hop meets speedy R&B. Lastly, I can’t wrap up this little review without mentioning the infamous Luda on Higher.

If the tracks aren’t listed here, don’t mean they are bad. I just don’t want to bore you to death with track-by-track review. The whole album rocks hard. So go get it if you want some hardcore and speedy Hip Hop.

After seeing Minh Tuyet in concert, I decided to take down my review on her solo video Ve Cuoi Duong Tinh. She is such a sweetheart and I could feel her sincerity when she interacts with fans. Minh Tuyet is a talented and I am looking forward to see she grows as an artist.

Although my review is no longer available, you can still check out Minh Tuyet’s photos in concert: Minh Tuyet 1, Minh Tuyet 2.

The latest Thuy Nga’s video once again flopped. It takes me less than an hour to watch the six hours long Paris By Night 72 in the fast-forwarding mode. I am so tired of Nguyen Ngoc Ngan and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen’s yakidi yak. What is the deal with Nguyen Ngoc Ngan? He sounds as if he owns Canada. And what’s up with the pointless explanations: “Tron tria co nghia la map” and “Doi co nghia la gian hon.” Well, duh? Is he insulting the audience’s intelligence?

The performances are more bad than good. Luong Tung Quang can’t even come close to Dam Vinh Hung in performing “Giot Nuoc Mat Cho Doi.” Van Quynh can’t reach My Tam’s level in singing “Uoc Gi.” The rest of the performances are pretty much average except for a few. So let’s focus e the good part. Tu Quyen, Loan Chau, Nhu Loan, and Rebecca Quynh Dao are sizzling hot for the opening. Minh Tuyet is bangin’ in “Anh Thi Khong.” She reminded me of Ngoc Lan so much. Even though there are similarities between the two (the red dress and the rich and handsome men), each has her shines. Loan Chau is flamboyant in “Vai Phu.” The new face Huong Thuy gives a beautiful touch on “Ca Dao.” Her voice is promising. The sitcom is not that bad especially the newcomer Uyen Chi, who is double D and funny.

Too bad, there are only about 5 good performances out of 25 and the hosts are not helping either. Thuy Nga production needs to come up with innovative topics in order to compete with other productions. If they keep producing same products like this, they will fall down.

One, two strikes! You’re out. It’s time for Ngo Thanh Van to leave the mic alone and get back to the catwalk. Bi An Van Trang once again demonstrates Ngo Thanh Van’s inability to sing. Vol. 2 has no indication of improvement from Vol. 1. I can’t even pick out a good song to brag about. The lyrics are still cheap and the music is just cheaper.

What was she thinking? Putting out yet another worthless album. The worse track on the album is Anh Trang, which features Okio, who has no rapping skills whatsoever. In fact, William Hung would murder his ass in a lyrical battle any time. Well, I don’t want to sound too negative so go to NTVvirus.com and check it out. The site is nicely done in Flash and it has sample clips posted on there.

Lan Song Xanh music video showcases most requested songs in 2003. The video features live performances by rising stars such as: Dam Vinh Hung, My Tam, Tuan Hung, Thanh Thao, Lam Truong, Dan Truong, Cam Ly, Phuong Thanh and many more. The video also acknowledges songwriters, Le Quang, Hoai An, Quoc An, Ngoc Chau, and Tuong Van, who contributed these magnificent works to the Vietnamese music.

While the Vietnamese entertainment productions in the US including Asia, Thuy Nga, Van Son and Tinh reuse same old songs over and over again, the music industry in Viet Nam is booming with hits after hits. Lan Song Xanh music video alone displays more than 25 new top hits in 2003. Now that is impressive comparing to the productions in US, which I can’t even recall a good song made in 2003; therefore, the productions in the US are loosing the market shares to those in Viet Nam.

The best part about Lan Song Xanh video is the actual live performances, no lip-syncing. Of course, Dam Vinh Hung and My Tam are as fine as always. I actually like Dam Vinh Hung’s Neu Co Yeu Toi live version much better than the recorded version. His powerful voice makes a big different when he sings live. My Tam is simply sexy. This girl has everything: the voice, the look, and the loot (She has recently signed a contract with Pepsi for 70 thousand US dollars). Her performance on Hoa Mi Toc Nau and Uoc Gi is just breathtaking. Beside those two, Tuan Hung also rocks the mic. He gives a mesmerizing performance on Tinh Yeu Lung Linh and Dot Chut La Kho with his strong and smoky tone.

Along with solo performances, the “ho`” part is entertaining as well. For those who don’t know, “ho`” is an interaction back and forth playing on poetry. Similar to Hip Hop battle, one starts off with “ho` ho ho ho’… ” then spits a couple lines. Immediately, the other would “ho`” back with a reply. In this case, there are five guys (Dam Vinh Hung, Lam Truong, Dan Truong, Tuan Hung, and Quang Dung) verses five girls (Phuong Thanh, My Tam, Hong Ngoc, Thanh Thao and Cam Ly). What cracks me the most is Dam Vinh Hung’s smart mouth. He just says whatever on his mind especially when he busts on Tuan Hung, “No o ngoai vo.” Phuong Thanh on the other side is funny as hell too. She pokes at Hong Ngoc with the North Vietnamese accent, “Ben em, con nho ao do no ‘soc’ lam day.” You have to know Vietnamese slang to get it.

Asia video 42, Am Nhac Vong Quanh The Gioi, proves their musical arrangements are still topnotch comparing to other Vietnamese entertainment productions in America. With high definition sound qualities, the beats and the instruments are crystal clear. Although this video features aged songs, Asia music producers give them brand new vibes with their innovative remixes. The best one is “Bang Bang” with the smooth guitar sound and the unique upbeat flavor.

Beside the fantastic sound, custome and set designs are worth noticing in this video. To show music around the world, each scene and every custome must be done correctly in order to take the audience to different countries. Thankfully, Asia had done their homework. They must have invested a tremendous amount of time and money to provide all the sceneries and clothes design for the show. As a result, the set design is aesthetically exquisite and the customes are eloquently gorgeous. On top of that, the special effects in the background are splendor.

The singers’ performances are good but the dancers’ performances are extraordinary. Another highlight of the show is the choreographers. The dances are highly enjoyable. Specially the Italian’s God Father act, they step with stylish and power. The choreographers put up a great show even though it is hard to look at Kenny Thai’s baby face as a mobster. Not sure why Phillip Huy’s Cup of Life performance filled with Victoria’s Secret Angels but it is all good. Hot chicks shake their asses in panties and bras, what more can you ask for?

My only complain is Trish‘s interview. Don’t understand why the audience applauded when she asked if she could speak English instead of Vietnamese. If I were there, I would have booed the hell out of her. I would not encourage her to speak English. If Truong Vu can speak Vietnamese even though he is Chinese, Trish better learns to speak her native language.

Asia has produced two successful products back to back. Asia 41’s Mua He Ruc Ro was a big hit and this one is highly enjoyable as well. Asia had been refocused themselves to create meaningful and entertaining works. With this video, they must have spent big bucks to create a masterpiece like that. I usually don’t care about bootlegging but please buy Asia’s original products so they can push the limits and bring us more good videos. They have the visions and the talents and I would hate to see them go away.

Producer Kanye West demonstrates his rap skills on The College Dropout. I am not too crazy about the way he flows but he has some nice lyrics and dozens of blazin’ beats. Glad to hear West raps about his personal experiences such as: college life, work at the Gap, and a car accident instead of the typical gangster life, bitches, and cars. With his consistently good lyrics and dope beats, the album is enjoyable from start to finish.

“Get Em High” is the best track on the album. The beat is mad wicked and I like the way West flows on this one. Specially the first two lines where he spits out fast and clear. Talib Kweli and Common also drops their ill verses on this track. In “All Falls Down”, it’s funny how he tells the story of a girl who drops out of college to become a hair designer, “The concept of school seems insecurrr. Sophomore three yurrrs ain’t picked a carurrrs The beat is hot and Syleena Johnson’s voice is beautiful. “Never Let Me Down” featuring Jay-Z is pretty hot too. West talks about the car accident, “But I can’t complain what the accident did to my left eye… Cause look at what the accident did to Left Eye. First Aaliyah… now Romeo Must Die.” In “Spaceship”, he talks about how he quits working at the Gap and starts making his own beats. The “New Workout Plan” is pretty funny too. I like the hip hop/club beat and how the girl said, “6pac Shakur.” I like the fresh and new vibe in “We Don’t Care.” The lyrics in “Two Words” is decent and the beat is mad kool, especially the violin at the end. Mos Def and Freeway also give a wonderful performance on their part. “Jesus Walks” has a nice tune with a positive message. “Slow Jamz” featuring Twista is nice for a little bump amd grind. The beat on “Through The Wire” sounds familiar but pretty catchy. Finally, West tells the story of how he got hooked up with Jay-Z on “Last Call.”

With the solid list above, The College Dropout is a pretty damn good album. It’s unique, entertaining, and well produced. It would have been a perfect album if Kanye West flows stronger and clearer (or I am not just digging his style). Still, go grab yourself a copy, definitely worth it.