VIDEO: Luke James, "Mo' Better Blues"

After a few powerhouse performances opening for the Queen Beyoncé (lol) on Memorial Day weekend, Luke James drops the video for "Mo' Better Blues" with steamy visuals playing along the confines of hot and cold. --GB

NEW SONG: Luke James "Mo' Better Blues"

Luke James dropped a new song last night called "Mo' Better Blues." Luke wastes no time dropping bombs, as he does in the first lines, and the slow, syrupy beat draws in the listener. The bridge changes it up in dramatic fashion, and not to mention Luke knows how to product place! He has lines from the 1990 Spike Lee joint Mo' Better Blues in the song. If you need some background, here's the rundown of the scene in which the background lines came from. Listen above!

Clarke (Cynda Williams): Everything's on a schedule, a timetable. Loosen up, tight ass.

Bleek (Denzel Washington): Let me explain something to you. Life is short, OK? I need it like this to do all the things I gotta do. I like order.

Clarke: Order's fine, but you're ridiculous.

Bleek: And what do you want?

Clarke: I want a man who knows what he wants. Decisive. You don't know what you want. Make up your mind to be a man and don't be wishy-washy on me.

Bleek: Hmm. I know what I want. My music. Everything else is secondary.

Luke's now working on his debut, Made To Love.

ESTELLE TALKS "ALL OF ME" OUT TODAY!

@EstelleDarlings @AtlanticRecords

All of the fans who have been waiting for Estelle to drop All of Me in the US are officially satiated today, as the London-bred singer drops her latest album on Atlantic Records. When GBSTL caught up with Estelle a few weeks ago, we had a chat about the album, the fans waiting impatiently, and her international appeal. Read below.

Q: So how does it feel to have your album All Of Me come out after all this time?
A: It feels like, Jesus is on the main line, tell him what you want! Nah I’m joking. It feels good!

Q: We’ve been waiting for you.
A: I know. I was getting cursed out regularly on Twitter. People show their love in different ways, and a lot of the love was like, “You’re just a one hit wonder! When is your album coming out?” And I was like, “You’re just gonna shade me and love me in the same wave?” I’m a one hit wonder, where is my record, what do I say? Um, you know what? I take my time because I feel like, it affects people’s lives when I talk. It affects people’s lives when you speak and when you say things. This is something that goes into the universe and it gets played again, and again, and again and it can’t be wack, it can’t be fake. It can’t be, you know. And I’m thankful that I have a catalogue so I can just be like, hold this, hold for the love. Hold these mixtapes until the full package is ready. I’m thankful for that.

Q: What would you say All Of Me is about? It’s about falling in and out of love…
A: In and out of love, in and out of friendships, this is who the hell I am…and just becoming more a woman, becoming more a human, becoming more vulnerable. You know no one ever saw me be sad, ever, in my entire career on a record. I was the super positive tough girl. My management team was like, “You cry. We know you cry.” And I was like, “What? Where? Who told you that?” And the day I did they were like “FML she really cries!” Because I’m so positive, I believe there’s no reason to waste tears when you can find a way through it. There’s some days where, and I’m first to admit this, there’s some days where a good cry solves everything.

Q: When is the last time you cried?
A: Ooh a couple of days ago. [At my birthday] I had dinner with my team, and they got up and said speeches about me, and I was like “Is this my wedding? What are you guys talking about, what happened?" It was a moment. It was beautiful to hear good stuff about yourself when you’re not used to hearing it. And you're not used to people telling you it and believing them. And everyone else that has told you it never meant it. It was amazing. I was head down like, “Yo, you’re fucking up my make-up!”

Q: Can you talk about some of the features on your album?  Rick Ross…
A: Rick Ross and Janelle Monáe are the main features. Chris Brown and Trey Songz are on a song called “International.” I love those two guys! They’re so young, they’re so amazing, and they’re growing into young men. I just love that about them. This world is hard. What they do isn’t easy. What we do isn’t easy. It seems it, but it isn’t. I’ve been watching them from [wen they were] babies. Mr. “I don’t wanna leave…” Mr. “Hey Girl [Excuse Me Miss]” Chris Brown’s first song to where he’s at now and where Trey is now, I respect that. And then to see them in places where I’m at. Like I’m an international artist. To see them pop up in Japan when I’m there and Australia where I’m there, it’s dope. It’s like, they’re getting it. I'm proud of them. The song is called “International” and [on it,] we’re just being cocky bastards. We're just talking about being everywhere at once, getting our life endorsements. It's hella fun!

Q: You are truly international now. Where do you reside now?
A: In between New York, and LA.

Q: What would you say is the biggest difference between LA and New York, and London?
A: It’s 24 hours out here. LA is actually slower. It’s closer to London in pace. New York is 24 hours. You guys have something going on every minute of every day. Literally!

Q: What time do stores close in London?
A: Like 12 AM, 1 AM. That’s like a late store. Everyone goes home and cooks and chills and hangs out. When I’m in town my people get upset. They’re like, “You’re going out every night?” And I’m like, “Yes! I’m going out every night!”

Estelle’s album, All Of Me, is in stores in the US now (and in the UK? March 12).

GIRL BLUE EXCLUSIVE: INTERVIEW WITH LUKE JAMES


@whoisLukeJames, @MarvetBritto, @Estelle @IncredibleLago

Luke James is on fire. Given! After touring with Estelle on behalf of BET Matters;a mixtape, #Luke; an amazing song, "I Want You;" and continuous powerhouse performances including BET Honors, Girl Blue caught up to him backstage at his SOB's show in NY last Wednesday night. Here's what he had to say about his album, his falsetto, his influences, and his fans! Note: Fawning is allowed.

--GB

GBSTL RECAP: LUKE JAMES AND KEVIN COSSOM BRING SUMMER INTO SOB’s

 

GS

With all the heads tilting backwards, shrieking, and palpitations that went on at SOB’s last night, it’s a surprise Luke James and Kevin Cossom aren’t also known as “LL Cool J” and “Kevin Sweat.” Bringing the heat (and the ladies), the two proved that NYC was the place to get an early taste of summer’s perspiration.

Transporting the masses to the greatest of 90’s R&B was singer-songwriter Kevin Cossom. With onlookers like Danja and Keri Hilson watching, Kevin drew in the masses with “Waiting On You.” After “Latenight” he broke a sweat, and with the room giving full attention he sang “Motivated By The Body,” with a bridge of R. Kelly’s “Your Body’s Calling.” With “Anticipation” and “Overflow,” he ended with a banging track from his Hood vs. Bridge mixtape, “Make Love Thru The Speaker.”

The anticipated Luke James ran onto the stage next in black pants, suspenders and a white tee. ”Wassup?” was his simple greeting that elicited cheers from the masses. Addressing all of the highs and lows of the scale, Luke crooned a “Guilty Pleasure” with aggression, sans strain. He revealed, “If you don’t give me your number, I just might die,” crooning, “Call me a little weak, as long as you’re calling me” to forceful pivots and jerks, doing the music justice as the girls attempted to catch their breath. After a Mint Condition tribute of “Pretty Brown Eyes,” he then serenaded an audience member with a sultry “Let Me Love You Down (originally by Ready for the World).” As Luke trickled up to her, approaching her from the side and signing right in her ear, holding her hand, and slowly grabbing her neck, every girl in the room felt the wave of sensation.

“Soulja” showed off a determined Luke, who sang, “Your body is a battlefield/And I came here to fight.” He followed with a short homage to the late great Whitney Houston, where he denied his existence in the industry with out her, ending with “Where Did She Go (My Angel;)” the show-stopping “I Want You,” with his famous falsetto; and a new tune, “One Of a Kind.” The class act handed each lady in the front a rose before walking off the stage. Needless to say, everyone was left needing a pocket fan. Groundhog, quit your day job.

Luke James is currently on the BET "Music Matters" Tour with Estelle and Elle Varner. His latest mixtape, #Luke, is out now.

--Girl Blue (TR)

Propers: Genea Sampson

OTLC 9- LUKE JAMES