Hot ChokLit! *New Video* Usher featuring Nikki Minaj – Lil Freak

image via PitchFork.com

Just in time for the release of his sixth full length album Raymond vs. Raymond, Usher has released the anticipated video to his hit second single, Lil Freak. Polow Da Don produced the song we first previewed here, using a sample from Stevie Wonder’s Living for the City, which I never caught at first. A lot of Stevie’s music is being sampled lately, which just showcases his music’s never-ending appeal.

The Lil Freak video was directed by TAJ. The plot centers around a young woman who wanders into an underground club of some sorts where Usher is watching. He sends his girl Nikki out to recruit the female. The video is described as having some similar elements as the the Saw movies. Nikki is entertaining in her Cruella Deville wig and exaggerated facial expressions. Ciara and Jamie Foxx make very brief (and pointless) cameos, while Usher appears very vacant in the video and the only dancing we see from him is some writhing he does near the video’s end. Nonetheless, I like the video!

What are your thoughts?

Raymond Vs. Raymond hits stores this Tuesday, March 30th. Hopefully we sill have a review for the album before then 🙂

Vodpod videos no longer available.

ChokLitFactory Exclusives: Top R&B Albums of 2009 + Producers of the Year

In addition to the top songs of 2009, we added a list of the top albums as well as the top producers that kept the unique beats coming this year. We are going to keep these lists pretty short & sweet and in no particular order.

Top 10 R&B Albums of 2009

Maxwell – Black MidSummer’s Night

Mariah Carey – Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

TheDream – Love Vs Money

Chrisette Michelle – Epiphany

R.Kelly – Untitled

Alicia Keys –  The Element of Freedom

Pleasure P – The Introduction of Marcus Cooper

Ryan Leslie – Transition

Trey Songz – Ready

Whitney Houston – I Look to You

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R&B Producers/Songwriters of the Year:

The Dream & Tricky Stewart – These are the official go-to guys for Urban Pop & R&B these days. You want a hit record? You hit up these two. 2009 was no different for the Producing pair who racked up hit records for Fabolous (Throw it in the Bag), Snoop Dogg (Gangsta Love), Rihanna (Hard) and Mariah’s full album. We will definitely be hearing more from this pair in 2010.

Los Da Mystro – One of my favorite producers, Los has recently branched out from doing songs for TheDream, producing R.Kelly’s Like I Do and Trey Songz’ I Invented Sex. You may also remember Los’ work from the Dream’s Walking on the Moon, Rockin That Sh*t and My Love.

Ryan Leslie – Not only is Ryan Leslie an incredibly gifted artist and songwriter, he is an amazing producer as well. Aside from producing his dedicated work on Transition, Leslie has also contributed tracks to Chris Brown’s Famous Girl and Mary J. Blige’s Said and Done for 2009.

Still in the W(Rapper): Usher’s Raymond vs Raymond Album Material

courtesy of Essence.com

So I’ve been taking some slight shots at Usher lately, since I have been skeptical of his return to greatness after his last lackluster (IMO) effort from last year. I had been hearing some very wack material that just wasn’t Usher Raymond caliber type music!n Luckily, his team is really pushing out some decent music lately and some of it has been catching my ear. So I thought I would share and see what ya’ll think!

Trey Songz, Usher & Keri Hilson – I Invented Sex Remix

This is one of the better remixes I’ve heard in a while and a good look for Usher who is looking to get back into sex symbol status that is currently being occupied by Songz Yuuup himself. Usher’s voice and demeanor is playful and sexy on this track and he coos, “Arch your back girl, Us-her back girl” this song stays in the ChokLit-Pod!

Usher feat. Nicki Minaj – Little Freak

I’m not even sure this song can be played on the radio – its that hot! Polow provides a nice beat for Usher to get real dirty on. In this song he is not even beating around the bush – Usher is lookin for a straight menage with some freak-groupies. He sings, “If you f*ckin with me, really f*ckin with me, you’ll let her put her hands in your pants, be my little freak” (Ow!) Minaj returns the favour as she describes scouting the club “looking for a cutie, a real big ol’ ghetto booty/I really like your kitty cat and if you let me touch her…”  The song’s riskay subject matter is saved by Polo’s production and Nicki’s personality that oozes through this track.

Melt in Your Ears: Robin Thicke – Sex Therapy

I am definitely late on this one, but in my defense, I have not been hearing a lot about this song, surprisingly. Robin Thicke has returned for his fourth effort, Sex Therapy. This time around Robin decided to work with new (read, well-known) producers to help explore a different sound. At first I was not interested to listen to the song since I heard Polow Da Don produced it (for obvious reasons, people!) but I was pleasantly surprised to hear the effort put into this song. And the lyrics paint a very vivid picture as well. Robin sings seductively,

“It’s your body,
we can yell if you want to,
loud if you want to,
scream if you want to,
just let me love you,
lay right here girl,
don’t be scared of me,
give you sex therapy”

I am definitely excited for Robin’s new release; I think he will have a lot more success with this album. Between this song and Trey’s Sex video, these men are making it hard to be a celibate single gyal, I tell ya!

Robin Thicke – Sex Therapy

Sidenote: I’m wondering what Usher thought of this song. This beat has Usher written all over it, and since he is looking to release his latest album in the 4th quarter, I am surprised he wasn’t offered this song. Oh well, his loss…

Still In The W(Rapper): Songwriters’ Revenge – Shanell & Ester Dean

Meet Shanell aka SNL aka the Softer, sexier side of Young Money Entertainment. Formerly belonging to ATL girl group, The Girl’s Club and sister to former Danity Kane Member, D. Woods, Shanell has been flying beneath the radar for a minute now. Looks like Lil Wayne has snatched her up and added her to his growing Young Money Entertainment group. I’ve heard some of her music previously. SNL rides with a Vanity 6/Prince-type swagga, with a strong 80s electro soul feel to her music. She is also a talented songwriter who has written from Danity Kane’s last album. I like Shanell as an artist and I think she has a lot of potential, I’m just not sure who her target market is (gay men perhaps?) and if the mainstream will latch on her sound. Judge for yourself. As for this particular song, I like it – sans the heavy guitars on the hook which are a bit overkill in my opinion.

Shanell feat. Lil Wayne – Play in My Band

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Ester Dean is a bit of a mystery. For the life of me I cannot find a picture of Ester on the Internet (despite this being the age of the image). She first caught my interest when she featured on a remix (one of many) to Jeremih’s Birthday Sex. Her voice reminds me of Keyshia Cole’s with its rawness and its power. Ester is a songwriter who like fellow Hot ChokLit girl Keri Hilson, is trying to make a name for herself as a solo artist. She is currently signed to Polow Da Don’s Zone 4 Entertainment. While I like Ester’s voice, this song doesn’t do a whole lot for me. Its a typical Polow beat with a chopped-and-screwed  repetetive hook, but the lyrics are far from inspiring. I think Ester may need to return to the Lab with this one, but I’ll keep an ear out for her on future releases. Did ya’ll like it?

Ester Dean – Drop it Low (produced by Polow)

Music News ROLO: **Update Keri Hilson Diss Record Fiasco!

Keri & Ciara

** Update! I just peeped this video Uptown and decided to post it. Underneath all this fabricated drama, Keri Hilson is a REAL artist with talent who can write good music. That’s what she should get her recognition for. Keri needs to keep her eye on the prize and quit with the dramatics! Check out this mini-video/promo vid she posted on her Youtube Channel. Kanye makes a cameo as her luvher. Keri looks cute in the vid rockin her gold-plated Keri necklace too!

Original Post:

As the buzz from Keri Hilson’s diss record, the remix for ‘Turnin Me On’, has died down, Keri has been busy doing some damage control. The song was released earlier this week, and sparked various rumors of it being a diss track aimed at R&B’s top females due to the heated nature of Keri’s lyrics. Peep the song and the lyrics here.

Read MORE!