I had some hopes to catch a glimpse of mr. Major Lazer himself in this after seeing those celebrity pics, but well, it still amazes me how Andy Milonakis manages to look like a chubby 12-year old, year after year. Brains' the magic recipe for eternal youth?

U can pre-order Major Lazer's upcoming album "Guns Don't Kill People...Lazers Do!" from over here and get a limited autographed CD booklet with purchase, also, Major Lazer has a huge tour coming up starting June 13th in NY.

In wait for that, another remix, this one by Dave Kelley.

Sorry for the lack of updates the past days peeps but I’ve been busy moving. Now I’m all bruised up, my body aches but I’m finally settled for the summer. A summer I’m gonna spend in Hultsfred with my parents and family and the plan is that I’m moving back to Stockholm by autumn. Feels really strange to have left Gothenburg; the shop, everything and everyone behind but also good in the same way, guess that’s the way the wind of change feels like?

Change is also blowing First Up!’s way. In the coming week I’m about to do a complete redesign of the site, both layout-wise and publishing-wise, u know, change platform and things like that, launching it all on June 1st. The reason is that I’ve programmed this site all by myself for 4 years now and I’m dead tired of the whole programming-process as its really time consuming and most of all unnecessary when there’s much easier ways to do things nowadays.

Things that are about to change is like that every post is gonna have its own url, trackbacks and comment-field and so on. And the best part of it all, the time I’ve usually spend on programming can be spend on writing more, in other words: more posts, better coverage.

Soooo, if u got a n y requests regarding; structure, functions, compatibility etc, now’s the time to spill ur guts out in the comment-section, so please do.

Well, that’s that... I must say, I LOVE Twitter, I was real sceptical at first to this microbloging-buiz but the truth is: it has made research 100 times more easier as u pretty much get the information u want handed to u directly. And I've been away from the Internet the past week I've gotta catch up on ALOT and this was one of the nycest ones that twitter got for me, The Get 'Em Mamis second video for their two new singles Work (prod. by Darkroom Productions) and Rock With Me (prod. by DJ Booman):

And yeah, while we're on b-more, let's switch it up with a fresh take on house/b-more with some rap from the Bay since The Pack aiming for a comeback! Absolutley love their take on Frank Ski's good old Hoes In This House-anthem, I guess it will be the first single taken from their upcoming album "Screamin' Demons" dropping later this year.

And finally, the weekly Don Diablo-goodie, this time around it's nothing like Hooligans, this is more of a mellow, wonderful slowjam. A nyce little remix of Frankmusik's forthcoming single Confusion Girl which will hit the streets July 6. The original is co-produced by the legend that is Stuart Price and taken from the forthcoming Frankmusik debut album "Complete Me" (release date: July 13). Don Diablo adds extra strings and guitars to the original as well as a big break, a smooth bassline and cut up vocals. The end result: Don Diablo likes to slow dance with Frankmusik...

Even if I don't do slowdances this track kinda sums it all up dosen't it? Confusion Girl, that's so me right now. Scatterbrained and can't wait to lauch the new and hopefully much improved version of First Up!, structure is the key!

I’m not feeling this Boss Chick-thing as much as I would like Rasheeda (even if the plain fuchsia-nails are kinda fly);

Let’s hope that the upcoming album "Certified Hot Chick" (dropping the 16th of June, buy it here) is as much as an orgy of food and sex like "Dat Type of Girl" was in 2007, Juicy Like A Peach with Shawnna definitely points in the right direction.

Bonkers is officially out today people so head out to ur nearest store and lay ur hands on ur copy, or simply kick back and buy it over here (love 7Digital; good service, fast and no fuzz). And yeah, if u remember, last post concerning Dizzee I was on a mad hype about the b-side of the 12"; the track called Butterfly. The hype was well worth, take a listen below.

As u know, Dizzee wanted to be a DnB-DJ, well, faith had other plans, but in Butterfly he manages to get his DnB-flex on, big time, the track is HUGE. One of the things I love about Dizzee is that he is such a good storyteller, like Jezebel for instance; I still cry listening to that lyric sometimes, however Butterfly is not about Jezebel, it’s all about Henrietta. A complete different story, way more happy and has a positive vibe to it, kinda like the direction that his music is moving atm, into a more bubbly and dance-friendly-state.

Dizzee’s upcoming and fourth album "Tongue 'N' Cheek" was expected to be released sometime this summer, however the official date is set to September, so no, there will be no release battle between Dizzee and Wiley.

Not that it’s needed anymore, Wiley has sort of sunken to the level that he has to battle Skepta for the "Kings of Grime"-title, isn’t that kinda... sad? Skepta and Wiley have never been on the same level, even if Skepta is a good MC. But I still actually looking forward to both Wiley’s "Race Against Time" and Skepta’s "Microphone Champion" (both released the 1st of June).

However, the title: "King of Grime" will always be held by Mr. Rascal, even if he collaborates with Armand Van Helden, does DnB or funky dance with Calvin Harris, in my book Dizzee is grime every time he opens his mouth. Grime in the dictionary shows Dizzee’s mug, _fact_.

I could have easily survived without the Tim Westwood cameo in this official video for Tempa T's Next Hype, he’s a par if anything and anyone. Other than that: nyce video (jus a click play away)!

The remix pack of Next Hype (with remixes from Scratcha DVA, Brackles and Plastician) will be released the 1st of June, buy it over here. This remix below by Mosca is not gonna be on the release but brace urselfs for some Baltimore beats, UK funky strings and a whole lotta Teeeeeemmpz. Love it!

I’m not in a very good place at the moment, if I was in the Dollhouse (perhaps the best tv-show of 2009, the intro-song, esp. the last part makes me shiver, LOVE it, that and the one for Fringe = perfection) my line would be: "I’m not my best", over and over like a broken record. However, A1 Bassline’s remix of Hooligans cured me for tonight, damn good work as always from Christian, isn’t it kinda funny how much music does to ya?

Nuff of the deep moody shiz, Don Diablo (who single handedly has dominated the HypeMachine during the whole spring) and Example team up for their joint effort Hooligans, which is set to become one of the many mosh pit anthems of 2009! On remix duties aside from A1 Bassline we have: Noisia, Spor, Doorly (remember the lovely dubstep remix of Bonkers?) and the main man Don Diablo himself. Hooligans is his first official single in the UK from his forthcoming album and the official release date is set to the 29th of June (except Australia / North America / Mexico, release dates tbc). And yeah, here’s the video;

Like I haven’t said it enough already but here we go once again; The Major Lazer-project is amazing! Love things like this, projects that’s a whole package; hook, line and sinker; smart, witty, fun and of course, of most importance: it ends in great music.

Major Lazer is, if u have missed it, a Jamaican commando who lost his arm in the secret Zombie War of 1984. The US military rescued him and repurposed experimental lazers as prosthetic limbs. Since then Major Lazer has been a hired renegade soldier for a rogue government operating in secrecy underneath the watch of M5 and the CIA. His cover is that of a dancehall night club owner from Trinidad and he enlisted the help of long-time allies and uber-producers, Diplo and Switch, to produce his first LP (still drops the 16th of June). Major Lazer’s true mission is to protect the world from the dark forces of evil that live just under the surface of a civilized society. He fights vampires and various monsters, parties hard, and has a rocket powered skateboard.

Legobeat makes him enter the warzone once again to fight off some zombies, now with a nyce, raw kuduro-flava feel to it.

Ghislain Poirier has also jumped on the remix train, he blended his own, awesome Wha-La-La-Leng -instrumental (from the "Soca Sound System" EP) with the Hold The Line-accapella. However, I actually prefer the original tracks, I’m not fond of blends at all even if this one competes in the higher range of the blend-game. And yeah, here's the official Wha-La-La-Leng video as well, thanks to the FADER;

Okay I know, I was kinda hard on Lethal B for his take on DJ Khaled’s old Go Hard but if Bizzle’s track would have been as good as this from Baltimore’s MullyMan and DJ Booman I wouldn’t have been that harsh. THIS shit is sooo good, LOVE IT, this is the right way to redo something; u simply make it b e t t e r and harder than the original!

MullyMan’s debut album "True Man Story" will hopefully drop in the near future, until then just be more, why be less?

It’s now exactly 3 years since Cam’ron’s "Killa Season" was released, "Killa Season" aka. the huge disappointment-album. But that was then, now it’s 2009; Dipset is not forever and Cam’ron is back in the game, for real this time. "Crime Pays" is a _really_ good album, kinda like the new "Purple Haze"; fun, cheesy and raw at the same time so make sure u buy it on Tuesday (over here)!

One of my fave tracks is still Cookies-N-Apple Juice, just got ONE small question, why the hell isn’t Byrd Lady nor her featured vocals a part of the official video? It’s not even half as good without her even if Skitzo's minimal production is lovely!

Titts and ass galore, but no Byrd Lady. One of the great surprises of "Crime Pays" is in fact that chick, I’m head over heels in love with her voice, it’s just utter perfection, aside from Cookies-N-Apple Juice she’s also featured on Woo Hoo along with 40 Cal, which is a catchy track as well. But other than Byrd Lady, there’s sadly no guest features on the album worth mentioning.

The second track in the video above is Silky (No Homo) and as u can hear it's literally dripping melting cheese all over the album (like Girls did on "Purple Haze") but oh, it’s a damn good tasty cheese even if I’m starting to get really tiered of the no homo-bag.

The only positive thing with the fact that I’ve been ill this week is that I've had some time to get through some of them (very) old e-mails that have been stacking up in that condemned inbox of mine. My aim with this site is to keep things fresh and up to date so this post is kinda embarrassing according to freshness, I’m so late on this it’s _ridiculous_. I keep asking myself how on earth did I miss the Stanky Legg-craze?

Well the answer is, probably cause hyped up dances isn’t that popular over here in Sweden, to paint u a picture: nearly no one did Crank Dat back when it was on the menu...

What opened my eyes for the debut single of Arlington, Texas rap group GS Boyz (originally G-Spot Boyz, and boyz who knows the g-spot always rules my world) was an e-mail from Lunice attaching his bangin’ remix of the track, another one from Sonic Truth with theirs and finally one with the original and a remix with Trina. I will be out and about tonight and I pray that someone have the decency, knowhow and good taste to play this at the club (but I doubt it but a girl can wish, can’t she?).

GS Boyz are singed to Yung Joc’s label Swagg Team Entertainment and their upcoming single Hit Da Bootie Dew is almost as good as Stanky Legg as it’s almost the same song. That really doesn’t matter, I never grow tiered of snappy tunes like this and in combination with a crazy dance it hits my weak spot, haha I nearly wrote g-spot. HAHA. The shooting of the video for Hit Da Bootie Dew will take place the 12th.
If u, like I missed the official video, here it is:

With that off my chest, let’s get back in the First Up!-game, how about the well rumored possible Lil’ Wayne x Madonna-collabo? Need I say more? LOVE the production! This is a snippet AND has one annoying RCC-drop and sadly no Madonna but u’ll have to cope with that. It’s still unknown whether the song will be included on "ReBirth" or some other release like from Madonna, however, have a listen and get amazed, I need to fix up and run off to my pilates class.

Like I said back when I reviewed Jacki-O’s album "Lil’ Red Riding Hood", some years ago I would easily have been able to relate to all tracks on the album, esp. this one called I Got Yo Boyfriend. It could have been my anthem along with Lady Saw’s with almost the same title (hers I Got Your Man actually WAS my anthem). Now, my days as the home wrecking whore is long over, too much stress, too much drama, just watch the official video:

Drama of that variety is def not worth it in the long run. What’s worth thou is this new track from Jacki called My Dawg, kinda has the same catchy feel to it as T.I.’s Whatever You Like. The track is not on the album but can be bought on iTunes and here’s the official video, absolutley love the pink flag-take:

Jacki-O’s second book "Relentless" will hopefully be out this month, the book is part one of Jacki-O telling her own juicy story. Her truth as she has lived it. Learn about what drew her to pursue music in the first place, her ups and downs in the business as well as the confrontations she has had to deal with in order to earn her respect and get where she is.

The book will also take u into the true story of her departure from the record company that began her career, what really led to her highly publicized beefs and where she is headed now as an artist and businesswoman.

This track got posted in the comment field earlier today, safe for that Emily! Quite bonkers and way out of my regular music field, even when I was into punk in my youth I would have to referred to the King Blues as a lame ass band, belonging in the Green Day-area. U know, THE band to feature in some boring high school movie, the band performing in the mandatory prom scene, starring Jason Biggs or Zach Braff dancing really embarrassing.

However, this has some interest to me, The King Blues did their cover of Dizzee’s and Armand’s Bonkers on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge with Jo Whiley the day before yesterday quite well. Not too fond of them guitars and shit, but as u know I never am, but either way; interesting.

Bonkers will be released th 18th (love the cover!) and the single will also feature a new track from Dizzee called Butterfly, makes me think of Stop Dat, u know Girls ladies, do the butterfly, shake your batty low, shake your batty high, sounds promising.

Pre-order ur copy over here or here.

The official video for Lethal Bizzle ft. Donae'o's Go Hard, the 1st single to be released from Bizzle's 3rd album which will be out in September.

As I've said any times before, Bizzle has lost it over the years for me even if this tune is kinda catchy after a while, but without Donea'o it would be quite boring I guess? Love mr. Don, still got mad love for last years funky house anthem Devil in a Blue Dress and newfound one for this wonderful remix of Party Hard.

Since Semothy Jones Remix of I Got You Dancing was so damn good I never felt the need to put another remix of that track up until now, this one done by Jack Beats is also quite nyce, isn’t it? Esp. after the slow intro. Sovie and Chester French were performing at the Highline Ballroom in NYC last night, where u there?

A kid named CuDi was! Love the drunken backstage snap above (courtesy of VillageSlum). To be perfectly honest, I've never heard of Chester French until he remixed Lady GaGa’s Love Game some time ago. GaGa x rap is a good pretty mix and it’s about time I shed some light on that one.

Speaking of miss hair bow, Queen Latifah also jumps on the oh so trendy GaGa-train (almost up to the same hype level as M.I.A. these days) and does a nyce take on Poker Face. Feels really strange to hear Latifah like this, new skool, however, LOVE it, the Queen still got it.

Teairra Mari is back people, with a bang this time! Her promo single Hunt 4 U that dropped early this year didn’t move me one bit, but Cause a Scene definitely puts her back on my map:

The track is the first official single from her long awaited upcoming second album "At That Point" and was produced by The Runners. The album title refers to how she felt when she was dropped by her former label Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam on her prom night and will be released via Fo'Reel Entertainment/Warner Bros. Records tomorrow according to the countdown on her MySpace-page but that's not the case, the album has been pushed back until sometime this summer.

Lady Sovereign is currentley busy with her North American-tour and her second album "Jigsaw" has already been released in the UK and the States last month under her new independent label Midget Records, in conjunction with EMI.

Here in Sweden we'll have to wait until June but whether u have the album or not u need this nyce little minimix featuring mostly new material but also one or two old pearls. Hopefully this and the new album will teach the Swedes some manners and appreciate Sovie the right way, the crowds behavior when she visited Sweden and the festival Umeå Open some years back was… let’s just say it was everything but nyce. I felt really embarrassed to be a Swede that night.

Also, if u have missed Sindens great remix of So Human where he swaps the electropop bleeps and Cure samples for a Basement Jaxx-style inferno of buzzing grime bass and synthy rave-ups.

It’s Tuesday and it’s time for Dancing with the Stars, a show I never watched until this season. Why? Well, I've only got 2 words for u: Lil’ Kim. She has actually made this season w o r t h watching and tonight she and Derek Hough are gonna rockin the waltz and the salsa.

Kimmie’s upcoming album "Vintage" is not gonna drop until sometime in 2010 but Sunday’s the official video for her new single Download got released via her MySpace. The track is produced by The Trak Starz and samples Zapp’s old Computer Love from 1985 and the video pretty much follows the same concept:

I’m not the biggest fan of this track, it's working but a bit too slow for my taste even if the version with Charlie Wilson is better than the previous one that only featured T-Pain, thank God for that golf cart-accident.

Uh, I’m so incredibly nauseous, went home early from work and haha just love the state the shop is in after the weekend. Some glitterati had decided that we needed around 500 sequins, in all the colors of the rainbow, sprinkled out on the floor in the entire shop, Thanks, it was with an utter pleasure I vacuumed them all up, also big up to the person who left his/hers half eaten McDonalds-meal among the pumps. Soooo fresh, fo’ sho. Sometimes I really wonder where some people are hiding their manners. But I actually love Mondays since it’s the big delivery day, love stacking them shelves up, hate that I had to go home.

Before I threw in the towel and headed home with a 2 lit. bottle of Coke I unpacked a nyce par of Reebok classics in the retro sneakers-section. And speaking of that old sneaker btw, here’s a brand new track from Kid Sister that she put together for yet another fashion project (her previous ones has been for: LRG, Converse, Married to the Mob etc.) and this time it’s the Reebok's Classic Remix Project.

A sneaker/music-project over at Foot Locker that works this way; 1. U buy the shoes designed by the artists (I recommend the black hi-tops CMYK-style signed Kid Sis called "Reebok: Black Straptastic" shown in the picture to ur left) 2. U get an access code 3. U login and unlock exclusive tracks, something to keep busy with in wait for her "Dream Date"-album to drop.

Kid Sister’s contribution is an updated version of the old Jungle Brothers/Todd Terry classic I’ll House You but with some Treasure Fingers touch ups on the production.

Whoop whoop! Insert multiple cheers, can’t think of a greater start to a brand new week and a Monday morning other than this at the moment! This refers to the fact that Australia’s pride and joy, the KillaQueenz debut album "Sistarhood" is finally out on Grindin. 19 tracks long, (15 original ones + 4 bonus-tracks), buy it from iTunes over here or from Dance Music Hub over here (out in other shops later this month/early June).

If u liked Bitches and Sweaty Wet u absolutely gonna LOVE this album, no disappointments what so ever, quite the contrary, Kween G and Belizian Bombshell just cranks out banger after banger over the best fusion of hiphop, bass, reggae and dance.

One of my current favorites is Double Up featuring Lady Chann, produced by the almighty South Rakkas Crew. In short words, "Sistarhood" is hands down, def one of the best albums of 2009, no doubt.

Also, the remix of Foreign Beggars' Hit That Gash featuring Inja, KillaQueenz and Chester P is some straight fire, the KillaQueenz absolutely _killing_ it, their first verse; pure LOVE.

The Bill Cosby-sweater is still one ugly sweater and it will always be banned according to my pof, the video for the track by Oh Snap!! and Ed Orable is not ugly, far from it, it’s quite fantastic actually:

Also, LOVE this remix from Wax Motif, waaaaaaaay better than the one from Kazey and Bulldog, suits my bubbly mood today perfectly.

Ciara’s "Fantasy Ride" is released today in the UK, on Tuesday (May the 5th) in the States and here in Sweden and the rest of the world (except for Japan who has to wait a lil’ bit longer) the 8th. Ciara wanted to take her fans on their ride of their life, on a musical journey with this album, had a big talk about that the album would be 3 different records and that one of them would be a crunk’n’b-ish one called "Crunk Town".

But, that’s not the case. Instead it’s just a normal album, 13 tracks long but with the twist that it comes in several editions instead, like a standard, deluxe and limited deluxe and what’s sets them apart is some exclusive bonus tracks and for the latter a DVD with exclusive video content.

Ciara also got into the split personality-behavior in the shaping of this album and "Fantasy Ride" is a bit Dr. Jekyll and Hide to me and to some extent it’s also a 3-headed freak. On the one hand we have these up-tempo danceable bangers like Work ft. Missy Elliott, Turntables ft. Chris Brown (even if it feels odd to listen to Brown these days, like slapping myself in the face over and over, not kool) and the best track of the album: G is for Girl (A-Z), all representing her alter ego Super C, a feisty woman, strong and yeah u know, the superpower female that looks like a 2009 remix of Barbarella and Wonder Woman. Somewhere in between we find the singles Love, Sex, Magic ft. Justin Timberlake and Never Ever ft. Young Jeezy, not that good but they’re okay and then on the opposite hand we have the ooh soooo bawring side of Ciara. The side that’s on the International cover and on the US back-cover, a natural plain Jane-look, beige and just a big sleeping pill to me as I don’t get her ballads. They doesn’t speak to me at all, all I do is just hit the skip-button. Skip skip skip.

The thing is, I don’t do ballads at all to be frank, last Saturday some man wanted to slow dance with me, something I never ever do, I rather die than slow grinding on the dance floor. But Saturdays I actually did cause I’m trying to wash off my common bitch behavior and be nyce, but oh dear God how I hate it, it feels so forced, cheesy and like a bad romantic movie from the 1987 or something. I never got the point of slow dancing really, feels like a huge waste of time, doesn’t it? Or is it just me?

However, "Fantasy Ride" left much to my imagination, sure it’s a decent album, a very decent album, but not what I was hoping for, personally I miss ms. Crunk’n’b, the in my eyes, _real_ Ciara. Without the whole alter ego buiz, being fierce on her own. "Fantasy Ride" just feels _too_ complicated to some point.

I would have been so happy if there just was 1-2 slow jams on the album, now they’re more like 50% or so but them bonus-tracks weights it all up from being too much of a disappointment. Echo is hella good, so is I’m On and When I.

But something I simply can’t get through my little head is why on earth Feeling On My Ass with Sean Garrett and Gucci Mane became a leftover, that’s just a HUGE and very stupid mistake.

The grime-electro-thing seems like an endless never-ending plague, more infectious than the swine flu. However, Bashy’s brand new single Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? is grime and electro with a (much needed) little twist. It’s produced by Toddla T and Toddla cooked up a nyce treat with this in his crosskitchen; a pumping bassline, some cups of b-more and an equal amount of electro.

The single will be out the 25th of May and Bashy’s debut album "Catch Me If You Can" drops the 1st of June.

And yeah since we're on the topic of money, them millions to be exact, let's throw in Theam Jeans' remix of Snoop's Snoop Dogg Millionaire, way better than the drowsy original.