Ghetto Fairytale - Mira Craig

Well its been awhile sense I've put up an album, but i thought what better way to come back then by dropping the third album by one of my personal favorites Mira Craig on y'all. Now then, lets get down into this...

As many of you know Mira Craig is abit of an oddity in music, she's the first "do it yourself" artist to reach the number one spot in any country, and the first to do it multiple ones as well. By "Do It Yourself" I mean she started out making beats and recording songs on her laptop and home pc, something she still does alot of, to keep herself true to her form. She also writes and produces for other artists now, as well as being somewhat of a fashion plate in many countries. Defining style and music were never really goals of the half American half Trinidad girl with the at times uniquely booming voice who calls Norway home, they just happened. She mixes styles both in music and vocal together that most would think twice about or even question the idea of, but she makes it all work, its unique and instantly hers.

With that said, Mira comes along with her third album "Ghetto Fairytale", which brings her signature mixture of club, dirty south style american hip hop, Caribbean dancehall, latin and african drums, and sometimes, even almost operatic tones, it, like her other two albums, were kind of a roller coaster ride through all of her musical influences, I gotta say, three albums in, still a hell of a ride.




The album opens with a bass heavy booming anthem called "I'm the One" a nice sly yet sexy song with a smooth and slanky baseline and some rather nice lyrics, thats always been abit of a strong point of Mira's, mixing a song that would make a nice slow ballad with the right bass heavy beat to make it that extra bit of awesome, I'd actually like a nice toned down remix of this one, maybe a bonus track or something. the next song is, "Soul" a sort of sing along style song where Mira's mixing a simple guitar with a backbeat and uplifting lyrics about being true to yourself and what you feel is distinctly you. I find myself wondering if this is her trying to shut down her detractors and their complaints about her unique style. The next is "Jig", this is one of her somewhat standard dancehall tracks, Mira has this thing, where she loves to make tracks that you can just put on a playlist at any dance club anywhere and it just gets people going, last album it was "Leo", and the one before that was, well most of the album, but "Jig" is the first of those on this disc, its just awesome, the perfect mix of her brilliance and sassy style. After that is "Live" which starts out with a brilliant guitar and tribal drum mixture as Mira goes between singing really high notes and using her booming lower register, not alot of artists can do that as well as her, the song itself is the kind of song you expect to see middle eastern bellydancers or bollywood desi girls dancing in a group too, i do love this woman's world of influence more and more with each album. Next is one of the stand out tracks "Nightingale" this is her take on slow sexy seductive music, its a mix of light electronica and tribal style, mixed with rather suggestive lyrics done in her lower range coming out almost like a sexy growl, just amazing. Next is "Do It Yourself" an upbeat song that sounds almost like the kind of thing you'd hear in one of those cheerleader movies that suck so much, but unlike those movies, the song is rather catchy, its a testimonial to the work she's done musically, even directly referencing the fact she's made all three albums herself with no help, its almost a straight up calling out of those who have detracted her in the last few years. From here the album takes you back to various spots and doesn't fail to get you out of your seat, as you would expect from an album of this nature, the stand out of the last half of the album is infact the title track "Ghetto Fairytale", which brings Mira back to her mixture of slow and sexy basslines, sultry lyrics and enough of that middle eastern style bellydancing style sound that makes you wanna listen afew times through just for how awesome it is, the album ends afew tracks later with "When Tomorrow Comes" and "Shine" both beautifully tender in their own way tracks that make a great end ot the album.




So the big question, is this album for everyone? I would say so, if you're up for a nice trip around the musical world with stops that most people would think of mixing together this side of an obscure album by Truth Hurts, one of Dr. Dre's forgotten projects, that had a similar concept musically, just not as perfectly done. Mira is one of those artists where if you don't like what she's got to say, or the way she's saying it, you can enjoy the beats or the backing, or if you're in the mood for a singer that can mix high upper range, growling lower range anywhere in between and still bust out a rap that'll leave even the most stoic MC's jaw dropped open, then definitely give her a try, you will not be sitting down by the end of the album, seriously, you'll be on your feet or atleast chairdancing more then once on this disc. Definitely giving it my highest recommendation.

But if you need more convincing, here is her video for "I'm The One"




Arist: Mira Craig
Album: Ghetto Fairytale
Genre: HIP Hop, Dancehall, Club, Latin, African, Funk, Pop
Download: Here


By: BC

Mira Craig - Tribal Dreams

I was excited to recently come into ownership of Mira Craig's second album, most of you recall my overly raving review of the Norwegian hotness in a can's debut album, and I was waiting for her second time around to see if the queen of do it yourself music could return with the same or better then she did the first time around, and I must tell you, she did not disappoint, as I assumed she wouldn't, she did infact, grow, there is alot of maturity and growth in this second release Tribal Dreams, and I assume that she will continue to grow. There are heavy influences of American hip hop, Eurodance, Drum and Bass, and like 5 different types of Latin music, obviously her time on tour with American and Spanish acts through out Europe has helped her... well more then that knee shattering stagedive did anyway.

Now lets get into the album itself shall we? It starts out with an introduction track as most albums do, I rather like this because its very dark and sinister (more sinister then Nathanial Essex even!) drum and bass meets horror movie score kind of thing with Mira's eerie upper range mixed in for a chorus of just the right feel. The first actual track on the album is "Dada", a very upbeat jazzy bass track thats very dance friendly, sure the track is about sex and the lyrics are very suggestive in their own unconventional way, but still, an awesome track. The second track is "Leo" the defining track of the album, don't get all wigged out, I just mean defining in this is the track that you'll be hearing for years in clubs nonstop, not that its the peak of the disc, Leo is your standard issue club dance track that is gonna get women all over the world up on the dancefloor shaking the junk in their trunks better then any song this year will, the track just drips pools of American hip hop and Latin dance all over the floor around your speakers. The next track is "Fatty Girl" another song thats gotten alot of air play through out the world, well the world thats not the US anyway, damn US radio and its blandness, this track is very American hip hop influenced, you can hear alot of her time touring with Snoop Dogg in this one, even over its thick guitar heavy dirty south style beat that blows the top of your head off, the heartbeat baseline ending is awesome as well. The next song is "Dream", a very nice acoustic guitar and bass track which has Mira proving again the differences in her range, she goes from her normal deep vocal to her higher church chorus vocal range as well, she runs the whole gambit in a very nice love song about her dreams of this guy who she's really into. Thats followed by "Look At Me Now" a very sexy song, akin to snake charmer off her first album, that sexy Turkish/Trinidad traditional meets club beat over a very sexy song thats also one of her more empowering and positive songs, I love how she can mix lyrics about being a strong woman and enough sexuality to remind you just how this song is ment to be danced too into one song so perfectly. Next is "I'm So Ghetto" the beat is something like a mix of dirty south American rap and something like Jill Scott, which might not sound right, but I have to tell you, this works, she also pays homage to her father's home of Baton Rouge Louisiana on this, the track might sound like a skip over or album filler to some, but I see it for what it is, an experiment and attempt to grow her style and grow as an artist, I love it just for that alone. Its followed up with "Run and Hide" which is kind of mix of tribal, call and response and angry American hip hop, the beat to this track is just so amazing, the chorus is as well, a definite favorite. This is followed by "What My Name" one of those tracks that is just booming high level blast out of your speakers awesome, very much in this new club meets hip hop and Latin and jamacian dancehall that Mira has created through out this disc, this is kind of the song you expect to see a fight scene or a boxing match between two women set too, its just complete booming bad ass kick you in the mouth and make you spit out teeth music, I love it! Next is "Tell Me", which is as close to a downtempo track as you'll get on this album, its very sexy and very seductive in its own way, this is the kind of song you see a very hot sex scene in one of those movies where the whole time you're waiting for the two main characters to get together, its almost to sexy for this album really, meaning that it almost doesn't fit the feel of the rest of it, if that makes sense. The last song is "My Lion King", another of the sexy bass heavy Turkish/Trinidad snake charmer style slow dance tracks mixed with bit of europian traditional guitar and African drums in there as well, and unfortunately, when you're all prepped up and ready for a second disc, it doesn't happen, the album ends on this track and you're left wanting more.

As a whole I believe Tribal Dreams is a big step forward for Mira as an artist, she's kept true to what made her stand out to me from the first album, built upon that and made it more polished as well as infused more international styles learned from those who she's worked with the world over, and added more drum and bass and club style tracks to her arsenal as well. My only complants about the album would be there is no slower side, last time around we had afew slow, almost diva style R&B tracks that show Mira's vocal range with out the booming and swelling backing music, i did miss that given that she really has an incredible range, I was also hoping for atleast one track with someone else, not saying that Mira needs help or anything because she most definitely does not, but it would be interesting at this point to see what Snoop Dogg or Wyclef or Timberland or one of the other musicians she's met and gained the respect of the world over could do side by side with her, I was almost fiending for maybe a middle eastern style dance track with Nancy Ajram or Ruby, or a reggatron track with Ivy Queen (sorry Tamara lol), or maybe a Japanese style dance track with Ayumi Hamasaki, or even one of them all girl hip hop remixes with maybe MC Trey, Mia Jupiter, Jean Grae, and afew other under respected and unknown to most female rappers.. but in any event, the album is still a great leap forward and an incredible listen.

Do I think this album is for everyone? Hell yes. Mira makes some of the best music in the modern era and has never been a let down for me, add to it that she's the best selling do it yourself artist, meaning she makes everything and records in her home all by herself, that just adds to the awesomeness that she has and shows just how dedicated to her craft she is. That alone deserves respect, if not atleast giving her your ear for alittle while. I said it before and I still say it now, I want and expect big things from her and many years of music as well, I don't think i'm gonna be let down. Give her a try if you haven't already.



Tribal Dreams by Mira Craig

Artist: Mira Craig
Album Tribal Dreams
Genre: Dancehall,Drum and Bass,Hip Hop,Latin House,Latin Dance,Reggatron,Eurodance,Turkish Dance,Trinidad Dance,Rap,DIY Music


By: BC

Mira Mira by Mira Craig

From BC About this album:

We hear the term "this artist has it all!" so often in this day and age that its become abit cliche', and more times then not, that artist its used to try and sell, is by no means worthy of being said to "have it all". Because the sad truth is, most do not. That is why when an artist comes along that is honestly and truely deserving of that claim comes along, I believe that we should celibrate them. Such is the case with young Mira Craig.

Mira is a self tought singer, mixer, music producer and song writer who lives in Denmark, infact she wrote, produced and recorded her entire debut album in her home studio before she was ever signed to a record contract. A feet unheard of by most recording artists these days. Well the ones on the big lables anyway, you do sometimes still hear of it on the indie level, but not so much anymore. Her voice is very simular to reggatron diva Ivy Queen except Mira sings in english, not spanish. Her production is way above what a smalltime home studio should be at, she's hard to pin down beat wize though, very unique and very interesting at the same time.

Mira's music, like Mira herself, is a layered complex mixture that blends many different styles together wile making stand out tracks the hole way through. This will have you dancing around almost not stop, even if you're sitting down. Though most of the tracks are either straight up dancehall/reggatron/club, Mira makes it a point to give every single song a point and lyrics that make sence. To often in the club world you don't get lyrics that really make sence, or most of the time you don't get lyrics at all. I like that the time was taken to put lyrics to these beats, though they could stand on their own if let be. The stand out track of this album though, is definately "More Fire", a dance track that tells the tale of a witch. Yes you read that right, a witch. It tells you how she was really nothing bad, but the woman of the village she lived in were jealous and got everyone to try and kill her. Which they do. And then it follows her soul as it travels from body to body through out time repeating the same thing over and over.

I would say that this album is for anyone that is looking for something completely new, or something to get them up out of their seats and dance around. Even though I love Mira's lyrics and her delivery, its the beats that stand out the most, and its where her albums should be focused.

Artist: Mira Craig
Album: Mira Mira
Genre: Pop/Club/International

Mira Mira by Mira Craig

By BC