Have you heard?
Singer, and now rapper, Queen Bee, has just released her second studio album, Beware.
The album takes Queen Bee in a different direction from her debut - this time recording a 9-track long hip hop album, again under Residual Records.
Where is the album available?
Initially, Beware was set to release on:
Modern Spartans, inc., Brain Dead Records parent company,
commenting on copyright issues with Queen Bee's "Beware".
SoundCloud also houses Beware, but only the first 5 tracks are available over there, for now.
Because of the complications that arose, Residual Records announced that BandCamp will be the only location that will house the Deluxe Edition of Beware. The Deluxe Edition contains 2 bonus tracks by fan favourites Tri$ha and FranTiK that are only available once the album has been downloaded, and are not available for streaming.
For our review, we will be focusing solely on the Standard Edition, but we will have a section at the end dedicated to the bonus tracks found on the Deluxe Edition. How much does the album cost?
This is Residual Records' first paid release.
Although The Struggle EP and Life Hurts were meant to be paid albums, they were both released for free, exclusive to YouTube over fears that they would not be successful commercially. However, Beware was always intended to be a paid album, and Residual Records followed through on that this time, confident that the album would be a success. Because of this, Beware is priced at a very reasonable £4.99 (British Pound Sterling), and is available globally. Should you only want to purchase a single song from the album, individual songs are priced at £0.99 (British Pound Sterling). If this is out of your price range, the entire album is free for streaming on BandCamp, and will be coming to other locations shortly. Payment is only required to download the album. At the end of our review, we will discuss if we think the album is worth buying or not. Disclaimer
This review is sponsored by Residual Records and Queen Bee, but sponsorships have no impact over our reviews. This review, like all reviews, is completely impartial and contains our honest opinions.
First Impressions
The layout of the album is far better than it use to be.
Residual Records is the first NWC record label to distribute music in this way. Previously, all other record labels have sold music through YouTube videos that require purchase to be viewed. We think Residual Records have just changed the game. Though it seems like the obvious thing to do, it's just never been done before Beware, and we have a feeling it will be done by all NWC record labels in the future - especially for all of Residual Records' future releases. The page setup is very minimalistic and simple, and the album credits are clearly displayed below the play/buy section. Additionally, every track has an 'info' button next to it, allowing the listener to read the credits for that song individually. One song, Ashamed (Pre-Release Version), by The Beast, also contains the track's lyrics, allowing the user to sing along with The Beast. Track 1 The first track, titled Beware, throws the listener right into the album, and serves to set the tone of the first half. The theme of the song is very dark. Almost horrorcore-esq, but not really. The beat is very dark and creepy sounding, and the lyrics could be best described as telling the listener to 'watch their back', because this world is full of "snakes" and "fakes". One of the very first things that stand out, though, are the vocals. Forget what you remember about the sweet-sounding Queen Bee, because this is the new Queen Bee, and her vocals are harsh and to the point! Even though there is still a softness to them, the vocally damaged Queen Bee is gone, and a new one prevails! It will be interesting to see what Queen Bee has to say about her vocal performance and recovery during our Beware Interview (releasing soon). Track 2 The second track is titled Exclusive, and contains a lot of references to Queen Bee's youth, as well as 'bigging herself up'. The beat is very nice. It's more fun and upbeat than Beware was, and the hook is comprised from samples of old hip hop records - a real throwback to the origins of the culture they're representing with this album. What we can't get over, however, is the censorship in the song. We're not entirely sure why, but many of the words and phrases are distorted and censored, seemingly deliberately. It's a shame, because this could easily have been the best song on the album if it weren't for the constant and extreme censorship. It sounds weird, and it isn't even done very well, in our opinion. This is defiantly going to be one of the first questions we ask Queen Bee in our interview. Track 3 The next track is called No Hook. We don't really know why the song is called that, because it does, in fact, contain a hook, even if the hook is just; "No hook just bars, no hook just bars / No hook / No hook just bars, no hook just bars / No hook". Regardless, it's a very nice song with a chill beat. A break from the intense first and second track. Track 4 The fourth track is a little different from the rest. The beat is more modern than the beats on the rest of the album, and the flow and lyrics aren't up to the same level of the other tracks, in our opinion. The song has a single word censored, but it's still clear to make out what it means. We were curious over why the sound is so different, so we looked at the track credits and compared it to the other songs. Despite being titled Que Beast (seemingly a cross between The Beast and Queen Bee), this was the only track that was not written by The Beast, with The Beast being credited as the main writer for every other track. The overall crew involved was smaller, too, with only one Assistant Producer credited. Despite all of this, it was still a very good track, and some of our team thought it was one of the better songs on the track. Track 5 The fifth track is different from all the others, and marks an essential shift in the tone of the album. This song, titled Ashamed (Pre-Release Version), felt almost unfinished. The production value is very high, but it's almost as if it were rushed. Nevertheless, the track is very solid. What is different about this song, though, is that it only contains The Beast, and nobody else is even credited with the making of the song, other than Rujay, who received an engineering credit. The lyrics are somewhat juxtaposed with the beat and vocals. The vocals and beat give off a really sad and depressing feeling, but the lyrics are rather comical, telling the story of a person that poops their pants in school, describing that person's experiences.
It is here that an essential shift in the album is made.
Beware is very much split up into two sides, we feel. The first side (tracks 1-4) is a hardcore hip hop album, and the second side (tracks 6-9) are more soulful, and, with the exception of track 8, would probably be classified as R&B, rather than rap. Overall, this was a good song. The beats of Que Beast and Ashamed (Pre-Release Version) fade into each other seamlessly, but the track still feels a little out of place in the album, especially considering it doesn't even feature Queen Bee herself. in fact, the track isn't even accredited to Queen Bee, it's credited to The Beast. It's almost as if The Beast is just trying to force himself into every nook and cranny of Residual Records. We guess he has the right to do so. He is, after all, the CEO of Black Dog Records, Brain Dead Records and Modern Spartans, inc., but even so... it just seems weird. Track 6 At 02:03, the sixth song is by far the shortest on the album. This is actually quite upsetting, because it's an amazing song, and the hook is extremely catchy. Track 7 Papier-Mâché Heart... what can we say about this song? It's good? It's great? We don't know. Regardless, it's a very song, and the decision to place it right after I'm Q was an amazing decision! Well done on this record! Track 8 The next song is called Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum, and it takes a break from the soulful R&B side of the album, and, honestly, we have to say this was a fantastic call! The song really serves to balance out the pacing, and ensure that listeners that aren't a fan of the slower style don't give up on the album right before the end. The beat is very hard, as are the lyrics are vocals. It's very similar to Exclusive, just without all of the pointless censorship. The lyrics almost carry on from Beware, but are more aggressive towards people that are trying to enter the culture without the proper respect for it. We would have to say this is one of the best songs on the entire album, if not the absolute best. Track 9 The final track is called Sidekick, and it details Queen Bee's relationship with one of her ex-partners. Hopefully we'll be able to find out some dirt about their relationship in our interview. Anyway, the song is very well made, and it sound incredible. It feels final. You can tell the album is concluding, but it leaves you wanting more. At this point, we don't think bonus tracks are necessary. The ending feels good as it is. Positives
The lyrics are impeccable. I know we bashed on The Beast pretty hard for Ashamed (Pre-Release Version), but nobody can doubt that he is an impeccable lyricist and Executive Producer. If one were to argue that The Beast was up there lyrically with hip hop's greats, I don't think we would be able to argue with you. It's also nice to see that he can write songs that aren't raps.
The pacing of the album is very good. You feel hyped when Queen Bee wants you to, and you feel chilled out when she wants you to. It's also amazing how The Beast and Queen Bee are able to make the listener feel emotional about things we have no knowledge of. Sidekick is a great example of this. I don't even know who Queen Bee's ex is, only that he or she "left [her] for the side chick" - but that doesn't stop me from almost balling my eyes out. Negatives
The location of the album is a bit awkward.
Most people would have found iTunes or Spotify more practical, but we can't really fault Residual Records for this. It would have just been nice if they could have sorted these issues out before releasing the album. If you listen on a PC or Mac, it's fine, though. It's only mobile listeners that may find it awkward. I know we've said it before, but Ashamed (Pre-Release Version) feels so out of place. It genuinely is a very good track, we're not just not completely sure it fits in well with the rest of the album. Bonus Tracks
We have listened to and analysed both bonus tracks, and honestly, they are very solid.
FranTiK's song comes first, right at the end of the main album, and the transition into it is nice. The song is nothing special, but it's very good. It's probably the best thing we've ever seen from FranTiK before, which says a lot, doesn't it? However, Tri$ha's song is the real star of the show. We know it's what you're all wondering about, really, and it's okay to wonder about it. We sure were, and it completely blew us away. We think it's worth paying £4.99 just for this song, never mind the rest of the album. So is it worth paying to download the album? That's subjective, and we can't make that decision for you. This is just our review, and this is only our opinion, and whether or not you think it's worth downloading completely depends on your individual situation and whether or not you like the songs, and if you have been following Tri$ha's career and recovery as closely as some people have. But if you like it, it's only £4.99 ($6.57), so we would 100% recommend downloading it. Album Information
Total Run Time: 54:45 (60:37)
Number Of Tracks: 9 (11) Release Date: 07/01/2018 Artists: Queen Bee , The Beast , Tri$ha , FranTiK Conclusion
Interest/Retention --> 5/5
Sound Quality --> 5/5 Production --> 5/5 Sound --> 5/5 Lyrics --> 5/5 We give "Life Hurts" by Queen Bee a 10/10!! You can't deny that Residual Records have done an amazing job here. Seriously, we're going to go back and revise all our previous reviews soon, because they have been vastly overestimated. This one... this is a perfect 10. What we found amazing was just how long it is. It really doesn't feel like an hour long album, but is clearly is. Time really flies when you listen to Queen Bee, I guess. Sponsors
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What Is The Mafia
Within the New World Community, the 'Mafia' is an intricate criminal organization that sits at the very top of the criminal underworld. No other type of criminal organization has as much power, money or influence as the mafia does.
Reminder: We are only discussing the organization as it is known in the New World Community. We are not talking about The Mafia as it is known in any other community, such as the Roleplay Community or the Mafia Community.
Contrary to popular belief, The Mafia within the New World Community is not actually one single mob, but is, instead, made up of lots of smaller mobs. However, they are all a part of the same organization which is commonly known as The Mafia. The Mafia is very self governing. Everything within The Mafia is handled internally, and The Mafia has its own rules and codes of practice. Violation of such rules can result in consequences being handed out by The Mafia itself. The Mafia never involved the police or the government in their workings, and they try to keep all law enforcement as far away of their operations as possible. Even though The Mafia is made up of lots of different mobs (known as "families"), there are also dozens of mobs that are not part of The Mafia. These independent organizations are not simply referred to as "mobs" and are not given the title of families - though this is a common aspiration amongst such mobs.
Reminder: All Mafia-related terminology will be written in green text.
The Mafia is a very secretive organization, and, until the past year, the extent of The Mafia's influence within the New World Community was not really known. Once this information came to light (though Mafia informants) many people were shocked with how much power The Mafia truly has. Law enforcement and the government were particularly surprised with how much influence The Mafia has in San Andreas, as The Mafia was formerly known as an east-coast organization, and it was not thought that they operated in San Andreas at all. This was simply not the case, and The Mafia had been operating in San Andreas since early 2014 - although the amount of influence they weld back in 2014 in San Andreas is debatable. The Structure Of The Mafia
As we stated before, The Mafia is extremely well structured. However, you may be surprised to realise just how well structured The Mafia really is, and how everything works internally.
So lets take a look at how it all works then...
Reminder: Law enforcement has always had a very hard time infultrating The Mafia because of their strict induction regulations (we'll learn more about them later). Therefore, most of this information comes from Mafia informants (of which there aren't many).
Additionally, we were able to reach out to a few current mafioso and persuade them to take part in this episode, but they were very strict about what we would include from their interviews and what we couldn't include. They did, however, give us permission to use the recordings of their interviews as long as we distorted their voices and didn't show their faces. At the very top of The Mafia's ranks is the Chairman of The Commission. The Chairman of The Commission is responsible for leading all Mafia meetings. He or she should make sure that all meetings are kept on topic and that the purpose of each meeting is fulfilled in each meeting and no meetings ever conclude without solving the issue at hand. As you may have thought, The Mafia regularly conducts meetings with all members who have a seat attending the meetings. However, the Chairman doesn't have any additional direct control over The Commission, but he does oversee all commission-related decisions.
Reminder: The Mafia doesn't refer to itself by that name. Instead, it refers to itself as
"The Commission". Additionally, The Commission is talked about an its own entity. Therefore, one should refer to The Commission 'itself', rather than talking about the people within it - 'themselves'. Also up there with the Chairman is the Secretary of The Commission. The Secretary of The Commission keeps track of the minutes at Mafia meetings, as well as keeping hold of all Mafia documents - both legal and illegal. Though positions can change at any time, these roles are currently held by;
Reminder: Join in on the discussion on Twitter using #InsideTheWorldOf
The Mafia is lead by the families with seats. A seat is a metaphorical name for a position at meetings. Essentially, seven organizations attend Mafia meetings and represent all of the families under them. These major organizations (five of which are families and two of them are external organizations that are linked to The Mafia and help to run it) all represent various other less-influential mobs (other than the two external organizations). The leaders ("bosses") of these mobs tell the family that represents them about anything that they want brought up at a meeting and the major family will make sure to bring the topic up and fight for the interests of the family they represent in a court-like system. Because of this, it is very important that the morals and motives of the smaller mobs align with that of the major family that represents them. For this reason, major families are very particular about who they will represent. This causes countless unrepresented mobs to be considered "outsiders" (not part of The Mafia). Families With Seats (and when they obtained their seats)
However, as William "The Jew" Sternberg (a member of The Jewish Mob) is also the Secretary of The Commission, he does receive good Mafia protection. Leaders Of The Families With Seats
Don Stephen Caruso
Families Represented By The Caruso Family Levanti (Boss Danielle Levanti - formerly Boss Zac Levanti - formerly Father Rio Levanti) Leventi (Boss Kenny Thorburn {"Kenny T"} - formerly Boss Jackson Fraser - formerly Boss Leo Levantine) Leonetti (Boss Leo Leonetti) Santora (Boss Nicholas {"Nico"} Santora) Santoro (Boss Vincent {"Vinny"} Santoro) Giovanni (Boss Giovanni {"Gio"} Wormwood) Hillock (Boss Valfredo {"Val"} Hillock - formerly Boss Alfon {"Al"} Hillock) Sansonetti (Boss Jon Sansonetti) Martinez (Marcus Martinez) Families Represented By The Greco Family Lee-Gee (Boss Liam {“Lee”} Greco) Costa (Boss Mil Costa) Costo (Boss Ryan Costa) De Luca (Boss Remy Den Luca) Moretti (Boss Vinny Salone - formerly Boss Jimmy Moretti) Conti (Boss Sam Conti) Families Represented By The DeFranco Family Florentino (Boss Brucie Florentino) Padavano (Boss Lucy Padavano - formerly Boss Tennessee Padavano - formerly Boss Martin Padavano) Siciliano (Boss Luca Siciliano) Beneventi (Boss Giuseppe Beneventi) Pisano (Boss Francesco Pisao - formerly Boss Neo Pisano) Families Represented By The Ruso Family Ganetti (Boss Sammy McVay - formerly Boss Sam Ganetti) Bianchi (Boss Antonio Bianchi) Rossi (Boss Victor Rossi) Ricci (Boss Roy {“King”} Ricci - formerly Boss Mitch Ricci) Romano (Boss Roman Abbott) Mazelli (Boss Jeff Stines - formerly Boss Griffon {“Griff”} Mazelli) Gallo (Boss Salvatore {“Sal”} Gallo - formerly Vinny Gallo) Families Represented By The Acardi Family Marino (Boss Marcus Marino) Rizzo (Boss Lenny Curry - formerly Boss Georgie Rizzo) Ameliano (Boss Jeffrey Stines - formerly Boss Nicholas Ameliano) All of the families listed above make up The Commission - what we refer to as 'The Mafia'. Should any of the families listed have something they want discussed at a Commission meeting, the Boss of that family should contact their parent-family who should then discuss the matter at a Commission meeting. This parent-family (NOT the official name for the families) must also argue the case of the family they represent. It is their responsibility to try and bring about the change or action that their subsidiary wanted. It is also the responsibility of these families to protect their subsidiaries from outside forces - although should any outside forces actually attack or kill a Made Man, the entire Commission should seek retribution. Notice the two phrases in green text? Both of these phrases are ranks (positions) within a particular Mafia family. With that in mind, let's take a look at the structure of a Mafia family and see what each role entails.
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As you can see from the interactive layout above (which you can click on to visit his Fiverr profile), it is rapper and songwriter The Beast's Fiverr gig.
If you remember, a few days ago, Weazel News made a story where we showed everybody this gig that a fan had sent into us. We had speculated a little about it and then got in touch with The Beast. All of this can be found on our website. However, what you may not know is that The Beast actually got in touch with us again not long after that story offering to sponsor Weazel News with his gig.
We took him up on this offer.
GIVEAWAY
Now, he is offering all of Weazel News' fans a special, EXCLUSIVE PRIZE!!
EVERYBODY who purchases one of his Fiverr gigs (it can be ANY of them) and tells him that Weazel News sent them there are AUTOMATICALLY entered for a HUGE giveaway.
EVERYBODY who purchases one of his Fiverr gigs (it can be ANY of them) and tells him that Weazel News sent them there are AUTOMATICALLY entered for a HUGE giveaway.
What Are The Prizes?
There will only be one winner of this giveaway.
However, they could win some pretty neat prizes.
Not just that, but because it costs $5 (~£3) to purchase one of his gigs, we doubt that many people will enter - GIVING YOU EVEN MORE OF A CHANCE TO WIN!!
However, they could win some pretty neat prizes.
Not just that, but because it costs $5 (~£3) to purchase one of his gigs, we doubt that many people will enter - GIVING YOU EVEN MORE OF A CHANCE TO WIN!!
PRIZE ONE --> $20 Amazon Gift Card.
PRIZE TWO --> $1,250,000 Grand Theft Auto Online Great White Shark Card.
PRIZE THREE --> Exclusive opportunity to create your own Weazel News story to be featured on our website and Twitter.
PRIZE TWO --> $1,250,000 Grand Theft Auto Online Great White Shark Card.
PRIZE THREE --> Exclusive opportunity to create your own Weazel News story to be featured on our website and Twitter.
ALL of these prizes will be won by one lucky winner.
You have a very good chance of winning this giveaway - far more than our others.
We recommend that you partake in it.
You have a very good chance of winning this giveaway - far more than our others.
We recommend that you partake in it.
This Article Was Brought To You By
A viewer recently found this advertised on the freelance service website, Fiverr:
thebeast_ : I will ghostwrite your music for you for $5 on www.fiverr.com
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It would appear that Residual Records artist, owner and, most importantly, main writer is doing freelance work on Fiverr.
Judging from the work that he has done writing and organizing for Residual Records, we would recommend that you go and check his gig out.
Judging from the work that he has done writing and organizing for Residual Records, we would recommend that you go and check his gig out.
Would you like us to do a review on this?
We know that many of you would like somebody to help write lyrics for your songs but are wary of paying them real money (even for prices like this), so should we do a review on this?
Do people even care?
Let us know in the comments!!
We know that many of you would like somebody to help write lyrics for your songs but are wary of paying them real money (even for prices like this), so should we do a review on this?
Do people even care?
Let us know in the comments!!
*This is NOT a sponsored article.*
"Gay Ricky."
Some of you may recognize that name.
Others may have never seen it before.
Some of you may know him.
Others may have only heard about him.
Incase you've never heard of him before, "Gay" Ricky Johnson is a notorious and very wealthy legitimate business man within the community; though he does have some suspected ties to the mafia.
Some of you may recognize that name.
Others may have never seen it before.
Some of you may know him.
Others may have only heard about him.
Incase you've never heard of him before, "Gay" Ricky Johnson is a notorious and very wealthy legitimate business man within the community; though he does have some suspected ties to the mafia.
Recently, it has come to our attention that Gay Ricky and Boss Levanti, a mobster and illegitimate business women, have been feuding over the Vanilla Unicorn club in Los Santos.
What Is The Vanilla Unicorn?
The Vanilla Unicorn is the only accessible strip club within Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online.
It is quiet popular amongst gangs and businesses for it's famous profitability and value, and thus is sold and rebought very often.
It is quiet popular amongst gangs and businesses for it's famous profitability and value, and thus is sold and rebought very often.
Why Are They Feuding?
Gay Ricky is the current owner of the Vanilla Unicorn club, which Danielle Levanti wishes to purchase - either to cash in on insurance policies or to launder ill-gotten-gains through it.
Being a mob boss with increasing wealth and influence, Levanti is apparently threatening Guy Ricky to sell the Vanilla Unicorn for a mere $10,000 - only 10% of its value.
Being a mob boss with increasing wealth and influence, Levanti is apparently threatening Guy Ricky to sell the Vanilla Unicorn for a mere $10,000 - only 10% of its value.
Why Is This An Issue?
This becomes an issue because both people are extremely powerful.
Levanti is a mob boss with incredible mass and power because of that, and Ricky owns a legitimate empire.
Because of his 'empire,' Ricky no doubt has a lot of powerful connections, including Don Eladio, Guy Ellis, The Modern Spartans MC and Merryweather Private Security. as well as a whole fleet of grunts and bodyguards who he could call upon if things escalated,
Levanti is a mob boss with incredible mass and power because of that, and Ricky owns a legitimate empire.
Because of his 'empire,' Ricky no doubt has a lot of powerful connections, including Don Eladio, Guy Ellis, The Modern Spartans MC and Merryweather Private Security. as well as a whole fleet of grunts and bodyguards who he could call upon if things escalated,
Because of this, a full-on war isn't so far away between these two factions.
Even though Gay Ricky isn't a criminal and is legitimate, he does have a lot of illegitimate connections.
Even though Gay Ricky isn't a criminal and is legitimate, he does have a lot of illegitimate connections.
What do you think?
Do you think this is a big deal?
Do you think it matters what happens?
Tell us in the comments, we're anxious to hear what you have to say!!
Do you think this is a big deal?
Do you think it matters what happens?
Tell us in the comments, we're anxious to hear what you have to say!!