Never let it be said that Mariah Carey isn’t afraid to make the grand gestures in order to assert her chart supremacy: She’s already released a Jermaine Dupri-produced remix of her third single from the sales disappointment Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel, “H.A.T.E. U,” that completely reconfigures the track around a bite of the Ghost Town DJs’ 1996 classic “My Boo.” It also features verses by Gucci Mane, Big Boi, and OJ Da Juiceman. Can you say “Hail Mary pass”? I guess since biting from the ’80s didn’t work out all that well, she decided to move her nostalgia up by a few years, and ride the coattails of a song that’s pretty much unassailable. Oh Mariah. Clip after the jump. More »
Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed” is already floundering in its second week on the Hot 100, dipping to No. 20 this week after debuting at a not-great-for-her No. 11 seven days ago. Which is why I guess the Gucci Mane remix and a new cut of the track’s Brett Ratner-directed video have been rush-released. The new clip ditches much of the “Mariah as a man stalking Mariah as a pop star” plot in favor of Mimi reclining awkwardly on a table and lip-syncing; Gucci Mane was apparently just told to stand around and contribute the ability to wave a champagne bottle around, a kinda-awful verse, and a lot of “hooo”-ing while Mariah is trying to sing. I didn’t so much mind “Obsessed” in its original form, but this remix was making me check the “time elapsed” counter on the embedded video from about the :53 point on. Clip after the jump. More »
Also on the new Tapemasters Inc. mix: “LOL :)” (pronounced “el oh el, smiley-face”), an ode to the lurid trend of “sexting” by Trey Songz with assists from Soulja Boy and Gucci Mane. Oh, readers, you are going to hear this song, which I believe is the lead single from Songz’ forthcoming album Ready, everywhere this summer. It has a delicate beat that I guess is supposed to remind one of computer alert sounds; it name-drops Twitpic; and Soulja Boy’s verse features a line where he rhymes “Blackberry” and “Halle Berry.” (He also name-checks his recent hit “Kiss Me Thru The Phone,” which is a further testament to his ability to self-market.) The track after the jump. More »
