CONCRETELOOP.COM

♫ Usher feat. Pharrell Williams – Flash (full) – listen
I don’t know what it is, but it seems like since “U Don’t Have 2 Call” and “Sweet Lies,” Pharrell has been putting out lackluster tracks for Usher. The thing is, I’m a huge fan of The Neptunes and I think that they had some really great songs together, but all these unreleased tracks that have dropped within the past couple of years, save “Sweet Lies” (which didn’t even appear on the rerelease of Confessions) have sort of rubbed me the wrong way. They need to stop playing around in the studio and lay something solid down!

♫ Cherish – Only One (full) – listen
The homie Bryan-Michael Cox lends a hand on Cherish’s new album, The Truth, which drops next Tuesday. Although I get really annoyed with Cherish’s imaging and styling, I really love these girls voices. Especially on tracks like this (and their current second single, “Amnesia”). In all honesty, I think that the girls are going to put out a solid effort for their sophomore set. They haven’t been getting as much play as they got on the first go-’round. Do you remember how radio spun “Do It To It” and “Unappreciated?”

♫ Ashanti – In These Streets (snippet?) – listen
Check out a new track from Ashanti’s new album, The Declaration, due out June 3rd. I’m glad that they found a single that’s working for Ashanti, because I was a little scared for this album at first. “In These Streets” is a mid-tempo track, that is really similar to some of Ashanti’s older material on her first couple of albums. The official tracklisting popped up over at Rap-Up.com and it seems as though she has a duet with Robin Thicke. Can’t wait to hear what that sounds like.

♫ Nelly – The Bay (full) – listen
Here’s more material from Nelly’s forthcoming release, Brass Knuckes, due out June 24th. The track was produced by E-40′s son Droop-E. The song is pretty interesting, considering that Nelly takes a stab at the Northern Cali flow, channeling the likes of Too $hort and E-40. It seems as though our boy Nelly has a new found love in the Bay Area. I don’t know what it is about Nelly, but I’m not mad at him.