Matthew Allen @headphoneaddict Twitter profile | Pikagi

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

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TV Producer & Director // Award-Winning Music Journalist // 'Get Off The Fence' music debate podcast

Brooklyn

https://t.co/mwvh1WyXQK

Joined November 2010

Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.

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@headphoneaddict

Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

Get Off The Fence is the ultimate music debate podcast! Listen to Season 1 as I debate w/ a new guest each episode b/t some classic albums from artists like Janet Jackson, Common, Quincy Jones, Mary J. Blige & more! Available on Spotify, Apple, & RSS!

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Get Off The Fence

Podcast · [object Object] · "Get Off The Fence" is the premier music debate podcast, hosted by award-winning music journalist and television producer Matthew Allen. Each episode, Matthew debates with...

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@headphoneaddict

Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

Over the past 2 years, I've been going back in Chris Rock's career, via his stand-up & his films (particularly films he's written &/or directed). Dude has some demons. I know many comics do, but he has serious women issues that, judging by his art, have yet to be resolved.

@sum1saiditinnit

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@sum1saiditinnit

2 months

gf asked me to show her my favorite movie tonight. Probably the most important step in the relationship. No goin back now

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Matthew Allen

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2 months

Chris Rock tried to get Prince to co-sign MJ as a molester in a 1997 VH1 interview, but Prince - politely - checked him, saying it should be illegal to say things that aren't true on TV (Good on Prince, who always respected MJ).

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They used MJ's fashion aesthetic, his song, the choreography from the song's short film, and mimicked the moonwalk underwater for their routine. All of the way to winning a medal. Another example of why Michael Jackson will live forever.

@whoisitbad

Sabrine 🍉🐉

1 month

no cuz this truly is the coolest thing i’ve ever seen

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

Through my 42-year-old lens today, Chris is very bitter. He was one of my all-time favorite comedians for a long time, but ever since his "Tambourine" special, I notice different things I didn't before.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

First of all, the MJ jokes, I'll never like them. He's always had it out for him & The Jacksons. Even after "apologizing" to Mike on "Inside the Actors Studio" when he re-watched a special & realized how mean it was, he's been saying negative stuff a lot!

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

I always liked The Weeknd. But there's only 1 person who has remotely close to being Michael Jackson - and that's Janet Jackson.

@Jmatt2703

J Grizzy

2 months

The Weeknd is the closest to Michael Jackson we will ever get. (Singing, production)

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

Chris Rock made some interesting statements in "Tambourine." Particularly - "Only women, children, & dogs are loved unconditionally. A man is only loved under the condition that he provides something." To me, this is the key statement that explains Chris resentment toward women.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

I'm a firm believer in the idea that once people reach a certain age, they don't change. Chris Rock let the women who angered him as a young man, the white kids who bullied him in school, create who he was & since that angry man made him money, why change?

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

It's 1 thing to dislike white folks for being racist; it's another to dislike being Black & the consequences that come from that. They are NOT the same thing, & IMO, Chris Rock suffers from the latter. He is extremely concerned w/ "the white gaze."

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

Fast forward to last year's "Selective Outrage." Chris, wearing a Prince medallion, chastised people who still listened to MJ but not R. Kelly, even though they were "guilty of the same crime," which for MANY reasons, is untrue. It wasn't even in joke form.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

When I go back & watch "Everybody Hates Chris," Chris' mom is played as the overtly exaggerated violent & short-tempered woman. Sure, we all reminisce about our respective corporal punishment stories, but it always seemed a bit overboard. I know it's for laughs, but sheesh.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

I remember DL Hughley had a short-lived talk show on Comedy Central in the mid-2000s. Chris Rock was 1 of his 1st guests. They joked about husband/wife dynamics & Chris joked, "You ever as I kid see your mom yell at your dad so bad that you kinda wanted him to hit her?" Yikes!

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 years

@AliyahRichi If Scandal was on HBO, or better yet, Starz, we would've gotten gory murder scenes, 5-minute sex scenes (p in v as well as oral) and full frontal from EVERYBODY...including Cyrus! LOL It would've lived up to its name 10-fold.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

Now, finally, I talk about Chris Rock's take on race/racism. I used to find him very blunt & real when it came to white's prejudice against Blacks. But after examining everything, it's clear that he dislikes what being Black did to him than the white mans prejudice itself.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

5 years

@bevtgooden Ok, last one: Teena Marie recorded her duet of “Fire & Desire” with a 104 degree fever! She was in the hospital & Rick James called her to say “get well, I’ll get someone else.” She said “hell no” & had someone drive her from the hospital to the studio!

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

In Never Scared special, Chris said he was "done" w/ MJ after another accusation, joking that Prince won the MJ/Prince rival war & that MJ was gonna go to jail. He then joked about Janet's Superbowl scandal & Jermaine's hairdo (the special that he "apologized" for).

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

By comparison, Chris' father's portrayal in "Everybody Hates Chris" as an overtly-cheap man is tame compared to the mother's heavy handed anger. Yes, there were softer, tender moments w/ the mom, but I never thought they were evened out enough IMO.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

You can tell that Chris Rock is concerned w/ the "white gaze" from the last line in his "Selective Outrage" special. After raging on Will & Jada, he said he didn't slap Will back "because I had parent that told me never fight in front of white folks."

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

I GET it. MJ's life is/was fair game to comics. I get it. I dare say that there some MJ jokes that are objectively funny, but Chris just always operated as a villain. Now, moving on to women.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

Look, I'm not gonna say whether or not Chris should've gotten slapped at the Oscars. Y'all can argue amongst yourselves about that if you still care. My point is that in that last line, Chris indicated that he still depends on white folks to determine things about him to a degree

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Matthew Allen

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3 years

@BtsPyt @dojonikaa What else must be understood is that Thriller moved another 5 million units from 2015 to 2021 so far. That's just under a million a year...nearly 40 years since it first dropped...IN THE ERA OF STREAMING, he still reigns.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

When I recontextualize "I Think I Love My Wife" & think of his jokes about marriage in his "Never Scared" special, it was clear Chris was working thru his "7-year itch" via his art. He was bored & unsatisfied & it played out on screen. But it never went away...

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

A few months later, Chris appeared at Spike Lee's MJ/Prince Soul Slam party - a dance party DJ'ed by DJ Spinna. Spike brought Chris on stage & he said, "I'm more of a Prince guy than Mike, but hey!" No fucking kidding.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

There's a undertone of respectability politics in his comedy that I didn't notice until later. It starts w/ his 1996 bit, "Black People vs. Niggers." It's an ingenious piece of joke-telling from a technical standpoint, but it's the epitome of what people call "punching down."

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

Chris said his grandmother told him, "A broke man is like a broke hand - can't do nothing with it." Now, he's not the 1st to make such jokes about the financial dynamics between men & women in relationships. But, based on past & future work, it comes from an angry place.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

4 months

In Drake's new diss towards Kendrick, "The Heart Part 6," he says he planted fake info about hiding a daughter. IMO, all this does is prove Kdot's point that he is a master manipulator, which is part of the reason EVERYONE is beefing with him. He...just doesn't get it.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

Chris Rock, & Chappelle as well, do something that is alarming to me on stage; they flaunt their wealth. Glad you guys made it & have all this money, but when you do that as a comic in the way Chris (& Dave) do, it can cause the audience to lose empathy for you IMO.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

Chris Rock will go down as 1 of the best comics ever. But as I get older, he just seems less & less like he was a provocative stand-up, & more & more like a angry old man yelling at the clouds. But that happened to Carlin & Bruce in the end, so he's in good company, I guess.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

Let me be upfront - I'm not a person who says that certain topics should be off-limits to joke about. The bottom line, TO ME, is did it make me laugh or not. "Black People vs. Niggers" made me laugh, but as an older man, it also makes me pity Chris Rock's bitterness.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

Then there's the Netflix special, "Tambourine." Chris Rock got very real about his shortcomings as a man & husband, leading to his divorce. To be fair, that was commendable that he was able to be truthful about how much he was the problem in his marriage. However...

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

So I'll end it w/ my original point, when it comes to his issues w/ women & just overall. It's 1 thing to be at a certain place in your life as an artist & express that. But Chris didn't change, it seems. He just doubled down & settled into who he was.

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Matthew Allen

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1 year

Out of all the memorable scenes from MJ's "This is It" documentary, this is one that I think about the most. These people were crying because they made it... ...and I always wonder how they reacted on June 25, 2009, when they got the terrible news...

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Matthew Allen

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26 days

After those bars in "Family Matters," we better not ever see him reference MJ again.

@Complex

Complex

1 month

Footage of Drake rehearsing Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You.”

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Matthew Allen

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2 months

@MrKenRudulphTV I also think Chris is a legend (as I said in my thread). And deservedly so. I'm just saying that I see a lot of his work through a different lens as an adult. I noticed it well before the slap.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

@NetskiD I saw this 6 real time when it premiered. It took 11 years for people to get outraged. LOL

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 years

What gets lost is the fact that this dude MJ, the most famous man in the world, read from a piece of paper! No teleprompter. A HAND-WRITTEN PIECE OF PAPER. That's the level of reverence & humility he felt for & showed to his hero. Things like this happen only once.

@BtsPyt

Bangtan⁷ᴹ♚ᴶ

2 years

A moment in history, when Michael Jackson almost cried when he presented the lifetime achievement award to his Idol James Brown at the BET Awards.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

11 months

Look at all of the background dancers. They are all in their comfortable rehearsal clothes. Michael is in tight jeans, loafers & a LEATHER JACKET. Why? Because that's what he wore in the video & he needed to train his body to handle it. THAT is discipline.

@jamster83

JR

11 months

Michael Jackson, with his dancers, rehearsing the zombie dance from ‘Thriller’ not knowing he was going to change the music industry forever once the short-film dropped

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

5 years

@bevtgooden Marvin Gaye did a live album in 1977. He wanted the whole show on it, but Berry Gordy said it was only enough for 3 sides of a double LP. To keep Barry from cutting songs, Marvin wrote an 11 minute song to throw on side 4. That song was “Got to Give It Up” & it went #1 .

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

The fact that MJ, Prince & Whitney are all gone, and all before they reached 60, is something I think about almost every day. Every day.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

11 months

OMG It's true. On "Away From Home," on the new album, millionaire superstar Drake is still butthurt that he lost a 2011 Grammy to Esperanza Spalding, the jazz bassist/vocalist from Oregon who makes dope music, teaches in college & minds her business. I'm...officially speechless

@Beatlove91

jennay sehkwa

11 months

Drake dissing Esperanza Spalding got me WEAK lmao

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

10 months

I was literally thinking about this today. How did U2 beat Prince's most critically acclaimed album of his career & MJ's Bad, which had a RECORD 5 #1 singles???

@weIcome2thedawn

𝐝𝐚𝐰𝐧

@weIcome2thedawn

10 months

MJ & Prince both winning a total of ZERO grammys for Bad and Sign O The Times argued by many to be their best works.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

5 years

@EastsideTC Thank God, tell no one, pay student loans, pay off mom and dads mortgage, create college fund for the kiddo, start my own business, hire personal trainer, acquire new waredrobe, eat Juniors cheesecake, establish bounty for George Zimmerman. In that order.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

4 months

The fact that Drake went to IG stories to specifically dispell having a hidden daughter but NOT allegations of being a sexual predator says A LOT. #MeetTheGrahams #kdot

@nfr_podcast

NFR Podcast

4 months

Drake responds to Kendrick Lamar revealing he has a daughter on ‘meet the grahams’ “😂😂😂😂nahhhh hold on can someone find my hidden daughter pls and send her to me...these guys are in shambles🤣🤣🤣”

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Matthew Allen

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1 year

This is good news for Drake but context is important. Three of Drake's 12 #1 's he's a guest artist, whereas MJ is the main artist on 12 of his 13 #1 's. A lot of rappers have broken such records because of guest features and remixes factoring in. Still a dope thing, but context.

@kylehenryallen

kyle

@kylehenryallen

1 year

The difference is that I wont be listening to Drake when I’m 65 but I’ll still be listening to Michael Jackson

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

7 months

This is damn near literally the halfway point of his life. He was 25 at the time & by 50, he was gone. Crazy. Still miss this guy.

@landofthe80s

LandOfThe80s

7 months

On this date in 1984 Michael Jackson's scalp is burned during the filming of a Pepsi commercial and he is admitted to hospital. #80s #80smusic

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 years

Usher is a legend & deserves respect. However... If Verzuz could handle the hits from Earth Wind & Fire, The Isley Brothers, Gladys Knight, Patti Labelle, then it can handle Usher's hits.

@TheSource

The Source Magazine

2 years

Usher Says Verzuz Can’t Handle All the Hits He Has Created

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

6 years

@IamGMJohnson I knew the writer who passed away. That completely shocked me. I wrote for EBONY for nearly 4 years, & EVERY PAYMENT was late. I'm lucky that I walked away after getting my money, but to see what my fellow writers endure & what has devolved into is tragic.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

11 months

Rod the God! He wrote or co-wrote 7 songs for Michael Jackson: Rock With You Off The Wall Burn This Disco Out Someone In The Dark Baby Be Mine Thriller The Lady in My Life Which one is your favorite? #MJFam #RodTemperton

@soultrackscom

soultracks

11 months

Tonight we wish a happy heavenly birthday to that all-time great songwriter, #RodTemperton

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

1 year

I was PRIVILEGED to behold Janet Jackson live at MSG last night. My latest for @theGrio reviews the sold-out show, as her tour performance puts pressure on every performing female artist out nearly half her age! #TogetherAgainTour #JanetJackson

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Janet Jackson's sold-out Madison Square Garden show keeps bar high for live concerts

TheGrio reviews Janet Jackson's concert at Madison Square Garden in New York, a sold-out show from her "Together Again Tour."

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 years

The Michael Jackson Estate is officially a Michael Jackson fan troll account. They can't deny it anymore. Here are SEVERAL reasons why the inclusion & the caption explanation of "Can't Get Outta The Rain" on #Thriller40 is bad decision. A Thread.

@michaeljackson

Michael Jackson

@michaeljackson

2 years

This song was co-written by Michael and Quincy and, although it wasn’t released on the 'Thriller' album, it was the B-side of the first single for the album, “The Girl Is Mine."

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

As Frankie Beverly retires, we are reminded that you don't always need to sell platinum records & have Billboard Hot 100 hits to be a musical legend. It's all about consistency & building a relationship with your fans: My latest for @newsone :

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The Retirement We Weren’t Ready For: Frankie Beverly And Maze Take Their Final, Well-Earned Bow

Frankie Beverly and Maze long before retirement established themselves as music legends. But their path to that status was not typical.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

For the record, Stevie Wonder is the GOAT. Saying this as objectively as possible, while we still have him, without being a prisoner of the moment. Let's give him flowers NOW! List your favorite Stevie song, album, bridge, ad-lib, harmonica solo, whatever you want.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

6 years

@ValerieComplex @IamGMJohnson Truth is, & I've never said this publicly, but if I don't get an assignment before New Years, I'm done writing professionally for good. Going forward, if I feel the need to write, I'll post it on my own site. If I'm gonna write for free, it might as well be for myself.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

Black women usually aren't in the best music producer conversation. So, I'm closing out #WomensHistoryMonth w/ my new article for @theGrio , highlighting 4 important Black Women Producers: Missy Elliott, Alicia Keys, Angela Winbush & Sylvia Robinson:

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Celebrating four influential Black women music producers

This women's history month, theGrio highlights the achievements of four Black women who have been producers for their own music and others.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

@tapiwa81 I know

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

6 years

@ValerieComplex @IamGMJohnson From November 2013 to February 2017, EVERY. PAYMENT. WAS. LATE. The only reason I got my money at all is because - they told me I'd get paid 45 days after invoice submission. On day 46 on, I'd email them, "where's my money." The fact that I'm 1 of the lucky ones is frightening.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

The first 15 minutes on Michael Jackson's HIStory album...sheesh! To be accompanied by a greatest hits package of some of the BIGGEST pop songs ever, & then... Scream, TDCAU, Stranger In Moscow, Earth Song? The audacity, the risk, the courage, the strength. MJ was different.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

Stevie Wonder arguably the best run in music history during the 1970s. But many people discount his music from the 1980s. Time to reexamine his catalog during the Me Decade w/ my article on DEF|Y|NE Media:

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Half A Mile From Heaven: Revisiting Stevie Wonder’s 1980’s Catalog

If you ask any fan of Stevie’s what his prime was, and 10 times out of 10, they’ll tell you the 1970s. Who can blame them? During the 1970s, Mr. Wonder released eight albums, had 12 T…

defynemedia.wordpress.com

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

There will be no next MJ, next Prince, next MJB, next Stevie, next Sade. If you want that music, it already exists. Comparative Declarations like that are lazy, unrealistic & unfair. It's one thing to say someone is influenced by or sounds like someone without "being" them.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

6 years

@ValerieComplex @IamGMJohnson 'Cause I needed money! I still need money! My main job is working in TV & writing is more of a passion that I did to make extra cash. Although I love TV, I still need money, but I'm done w/ Ebony & The Root & no one else will answer me... After 10 years & 200 published pieces.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

1 year

This is why I'm always puzzled when so many Beyhive members slander MJ online. Beyonce clearly loves Mike & has consistently paid homage to him for YEARS. Don't they think she'd be disappointed to see her fans behaving that way?

@Cohiba42794785

Yvonne Welz 🌹

@Cohiba42794785

1 year

Beyonce is paying tribute to The Jackson 5, The Jackson's and Michael Jackson during her Renaissance tour: She mixes J5's ' i want you back' with 'love on top' and samples the Jackson's ' Shake your body' with ' Break my soul' 📸 Beyonce's Superbowl performance #Beyonce

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

4 months

I'm just waiting for the next time Drake plays a concert or festival in LA, and the audience chants before he comes out, "We don't wanna hear you say nigga no more." If that ever happens...oh boy. #Euphoria #616inLA #Kdot

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

10 months

Here are some albums that people think are debut albums, but there're not: Janet Jackson - Control (3) MJ -Off The Wall (5) Bobby Brown - Don't Be Cruel (2) Green Day - Dookie (3) Any others y'all can think of?

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

4 months

When Kdot said "I believe you don't like women," I was like, THANK YOU! I wrote this last year, dissecting Drake's bars over the years, depicting his increasing disdain for women (Black women, especially). #Euphoria #Kdot #Drake #kendricklamar

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Aubrey’s lament: Drake’s escalating anger toward women and the media

TheGrio dissects Drake's lyrics to diagnose the source behind his growing habit of sending superfluous dissing toward women.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 years

@MuvaFoxx @plsashno That's how long it takes to get it right. LOL The footwork is crazy intricate. Maybe the hardest MJ-choreographed dance to master. Shout out to Fatima Robinson, a legend in her own right.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

1 year

Absolutely! Shout out to the LEGENDARY Fatima Robinson for choreographing this masterpiece. This was a new challenge for MJ from an athletic standpoint, & he ASSASSINATED it. Hard to find anyone who makes routines w/ so much detail look so natural.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

5 years

Marvin Gaye did a live album in 1977. He wanted the whole show on it, but Berry Gordy said it was only enough for 3 sides of a double LP. To keep Barry from cutting songs, Marvin wrote an 11 minute song to throw on side 4. That song was “Got to Give It Up” & it went #1 .

@bevtgooden

Bev Gooden

5 years

Tweet your most random music fact.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 years

Michael Jackson fostered a sound that was radical & infectious. As far as I'm concerned, the only singer who is copied as much/more is Stevie Wonder. Here's a thread of songs that sound like they were inspired or influenced by MJ. #SwaggerJackson

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

As promised, my review for @MJtheMusical on @theGrio . It humanizes Mike by leaning heavily into Joe Jackson's role in molding him into the man he became, good, bad & indifferent. As an MJ super fan, I say go see it. #MJtheMusical #MJFam #BHM

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Broadway's 'MJ The Musical' analyzes Joe Jackson's polarizing influence on the King of Pop

Broadway's 'MJ The Musical' analyzes Joe Jackson's polarizing influence on his King of Pop son, the late Michael Jackson.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 years

When Stevie Wonder signed his $13 million contract extention w/ Motown in 1976, 1 of the terms was that if Berry Gordy ever tried to sell Motown, Stevie had the right to veto the deal. He did so twice before Motown was finally sold in 1988.

@DejonNoMustard

Stick’em Up Dee 🤠

@DejonNoMustard

2 years

In the mood for some random Black industry facts. What y’all got for me?

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

9 years

Morons calling #TheWiz racist are mad because they have to sing "We're Off To See the Wizard" while we get to sing "Ease On Down The Road."

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

@ShumbaBaby @BtsPyt @dojonikaa Thriller dropped on November 30, 1982. Next November is the 40th anniversary. I know because I was born that same year & I'll be 40 next June.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

Ever the studious artist, "Leave Me Alone" is a wonderful amalgam of MJ's tutelage from Motown labelmates Marvin Gaye & Stevie Wonder. It's a 6:8 clavinet-driven funk jam, a la Stevie's "Higher Ground," & Marvin had a direct influence on MJ's elaborate background vocal stacking

@mjsignature

ronnie

3 years

33 years ago today , the music video for Michael Jackson's single 'Leave Me Alone' was released.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 years

Episode 7 of #BelAir was dope. - Carlton finally coming around - Glad Will kept his secret from Lisa - Jazz sacrificed his chance to hook up w/ Hilary but kept his integrity - Hilary sold out QUICK - Aunt Viv gon cheat - Uncle Phil played his hand too early

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@headphoneaddict

Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

What is your favorite vocal moment from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album? I'll start: Whenever MJ sings "Help me sang it!" during the end of"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." He does it with so much heft, power & conviction.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

11 months

The 1976-1981 era of MJ is very intriguing. Some fantastic, elastic singing & his emoting ability, already light years ahead of most in that time, was evolving and maturing even more.

@therosegawden

Mother Rose 🌹

11 months

We don’t talk about this vocal era for Michael enough. This was such a sweet spot and he’s doing a lot of the agile riffing and running that y’all claim he only did pre-puberty! Also my babies were SHARP and SERVING!

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

1 year

These kinds of institutions act like Black artists aren't relevant until they start paying attention, despite them putting in YEARS of work. Remember when Rolling Stone sent MJ a letter saying he wasn't big enough to be on the cover during the Off The Wall era?

@Glock_Topickz

Glock Topickz

1 year

Victoria Monet reveals her team was told it’s “too early in her story” to perform at the #VMAs

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

@418_310 Thanks for reading

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 years

Say what you may about Lil Nas X, but I respect the fact that he now has twice paid homage to Michael Jackson in his performances at major award shows. As long as new artists continue to turn to MJ for inspiration & pay tribute, his legacy will never die.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

My take on the Drake vs. Michael Jackson debate. They used numbers to bring it up, so I'm using numbers to put it to bed. My new piece in @theGrio shows Drake success is great for today...MJ's success is great ALL THE TIME.

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Drake vs. Michael Jackson: How the numbers show this is a one-sided debate

Debaters are flocking to social media to engage in furious dialogue on the validity of Drake vying for Jackson's throne.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 years

I always wondered who MJ's tap dance instructor was for "The Jacksons" variety series. At just 17 and 18, he made it look so effortless. Can you imagine if he devoted himself solely to tap?

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

4 months

Not to be a jerk, but here are some top 10 hits MJ wrote: Don't Stop Til You Get Enough Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' Beat It Billie Jean The Girl is Mine Bad The Way You Make Me Feel I Just Can't Stop Loving You Dirty Diana Smooth Criminal Black or White Will You Be There

@REPCTRL

j

4 months

@HlavuTheEnemy can mj?

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

4 months

@iamMelsmith You know who else was like that? Curtis Mayfield. He made some scary-sounding music.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

5 years

MJ's "HIStory." His best album as a producer and some of his best adult vocals. Supremely & purposefully overlooked. But in hindsight, it's a prophetic manifestation of 24 hour celebrity worship, fake news, political greed & societal apathy.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

1 year

Today marks #14YearsWithoutMichaelJackson . As a journalist/TV producer, I've done my best to keep his legacy alive. In honor of his life & what he left behind for the world here's a thread of the many articles, videos, & podcasts I've done about the King of Pop #MJFam (A Thread)

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@headphoneaddict

Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

5 years

@fspthedon Black folks can NEVER make up our minds. We get mad when Black artists don't get the exposure they deserve, but as soon as white folks start liking them, we question the validity of their work & intentions. So frustrating.

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@headphoneaddict

Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

Watched "Moonwalker" again recently. That scene after MJ turns into a spaceship & slowly drifts off, Sean asks "Where's he going?" Katie says, "He leaving." I felt the tears coming. Then she says "Thank you, Michael. Bye." It was a wrap. I was a mess.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

People love to use the term "cultural reset" for things. 39 years ago today, an ACTUAL cultural reset happened... Thank you Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton, & Bruce Swedien for the album, "Thriller."

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

8 years

Is Ice Cube the only Black artist ever to read a contract before signing it? Asking for a friend. #TheNewEditionStory

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

Name a sample in a Hip-Hop song that led you to discover that sampled artist/genre. I'll start: "Be Happy" by MJB led me to go down a Curtis Mayfield rabbit hole ("You're So Good To Me" is the sample)

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@headphoneaddict

Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

4 years

I just read the Michael Jackson Estate's FAQ response to fans on why there hasn't been so much output. I have thoughts....

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

4 years

It's crazy, tho. Joe & Katherine's kids ran music for 3 decades, basically. What a legacy.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 years

So, The Guardian posted the Top 30 Pharrell songs. 20 of those 30 were co-written &/or produced with his partner Chad Hugo. Folks need to quit cutting Chad out of history. Although he's quieter, he's a legend just as much as P. (A Thread)

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 years

@ask_aubry When Harry Lennix wrote that Will Smith tarnished The Oscars w/ his slap, I wrote a rebuttal, citing moments like this, to indicate that The Oscars were tarnished LONG ago & many times over.

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You can’t stain something that’s already tarnished: A rebuttal of Harry Lennix’s column suggesting...

TheGrio offers a rebuttal of Harry Lennix's column in Variety suggesting that Will Smith return his Oscar to restore the award's integrity.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

3 years

@AwakenMyLov3 @dissectpodcast They said the same thing in 2007. 50 was more of the commercial juggernaut & Kanye was more of a critical darling...and we all know how that turned out. ;)

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 months

@MikeSmith_202 This was an entertaining movie. I just see it in a different light now.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

11 months

@alex_abads This passage only affirms the stance I made in my article about Justin 3 years ago:

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Justin Timberlake isn't a culture vulture -- he's just a dense coward

Justin Timberlake gains popularity by incorporating Blackness without fully entrenching himself into the hardships of Black Americans.

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@headphoneaddict

Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

2 years

"I have always wanted to believe that Michael [Jackson] was actually one of the most secretly angry Black race-men on the planet." - Greg Tate (RIP), 2009 MJ's Black anger is what made the biggest-selling album of all time. My piece for @theGrio .

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Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’ a quiet manifesto of Black music reappropriation birthed from...

TheGrio commemorates the 40th anniversary of Michael Jackson's best-selling album "Thriller," exploring its origins and influences.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

6 years

@ValerieComplex @IamGMJohnson Naw. I love my Black people & want to document our artistic presence, but I've written for other publications, like Elmore Magazine, Wax Poetics, Red Bull Music Academy, Village Voice. I just love writing about music. I thought Black pubs would be quicker to give me a platform.

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Matthew Allen

@headphoneaddict

5 years

@MommyRandR @bevtgooden AND she and Rick were in the booth together during the recording, which is rare.

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